TODAY WITH YALTA BEHIND, GERMANY REUNIFIED, AND THE SOVIET EMPIRE IN SHAMBLES, FRENCH DIPLOMACY IS PERPLEXED WITH FRANCE CONTEMPLATING A EUROPE IN WHICH ALL THE OLD ROAD SIGNS HAVE BEEN ALTERED AND THE PRETENSES WHICH SUSTAINED FRANCE IN ITS DELUSIONS OF POWER ARE GONE. THIS ARTICLE EXPLORES FRANCE'S RELATIONSHIP WITH GERMANY AND BETWEEN THE EC AND THE FORMER COMMUNIST COUNTRIES. THE AMERICAN QUESTION AND NUCLEAR MATTERS ARE DETAILED. THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES THAT THE SUCCESS OF FRENCH FOREIGN POLICY NOW PRESUPPOSES NOT ONLY THAT FRANCE WILL HAVE THE MEANS TO MAKE HER VOICE HEARD BU ALSO THAT EUROPE WILL AGREE TO AMPLIFY IT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
THE SPECIAL POSITION ENJOYED BY FRANCE ON THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY SINCE THE END OF THE COLD WAR. GERMAN UNIFICATION AND GERMANY'S PLACE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY PRESENT FRANCE WITH A SET OF NEW CHALLENGES. THE AUTHOR DISCUSSES THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO THE PRESENT FRENCH OBSESSION WITH ITS ROLE IN THE WORLD, AND THE POSSIBLE WAY FORWARD FOR FRANCE WITHIN AN INTEGRATED EUROPE.