French President Nicolas Sarkozy has responded to critics of his decision to return France fully to NATO by downplaying the significance of the plan. But there is probably far more to the move than he is letting on. Sarkozy has argued that France's full "reintegration" into the military command structure of the 26-member alliance, after an absence of more than 40 years, is little more than a formality, especially considering that France already works closely with NATO on many levels. If in practical terms full French membership in NATO will have only a slight impact on the alliance in the immediate future, the symbolism of the move is nevertheless enormous: In what is arguably the most significant change in French foreign policy in nearly 50 years, Sarkozy is shifting his country's famously independent defense policy in a decidedly Atlanticist direction. By doing so, critics of the move say, he is sending the message that France is strategically aligned with the United States.
France and NATO: Why It Matters
