France and the Future of the European Union

Since the presidential election in the spring of 2012, French European policy has been in the spotlight. France’s position under the leadership of the new president, François Hollande, on the possible scenarios of the development of the European project, was the main theme of the conference organised by the Polish Institute of International Affairs. Invited to participate in the debate were: Alain Richard, senator and former defense minister of France, French Ambassador to Poland Pierre Buhler and Professor Zaki Laïdi from the Centre for European Studies Science Po. This report presents the main conclusions from the debate, as well as analysis of the situation within the Socialist Party, Franco-German relations and the French approach to future cooperation within the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy.