December 13, 2021
How France Can Promote EU Interests in the UN Security Council
In January, France will take over the rotating presidency of the European Union, securing an opportunity to set the EU agenda. One key ambition for the French presidency will be to transform the bloc into a more capable geopolitical actor.
Paris already plans to hold a Summit on European Defense in February and will unveil the Union’s highly anticipated Strategic Compass document in March.
Within this context, there has recently been speculation—including from the spokesman of President Emmanuel Macron’s party in the National Assembly—about France transferring its permanent United Nations Security Council seat to the European Union.
Yet political and legal constraints make this unlikely in the short term. Instead, EU leaders should consider alternative arrangements that would accomplish similar goals.
France and Britain have consistently supported Germany in its bid for a permanent UNSC seat. However, these bids were opposed by some other EU member states (especially Italy) and the United States.
Permanent seat holders in the European Union (namely only France after Brexit) must foster EU interests when fulfilling their duties.
As a result, then-Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz alternatively called for the conversion of the existing French permanent seat into an EU seat, building off of France and Germany’s then-upcoming shared presidency of the UNSC to promote EU positions and commitments in the UNSC.
As the European Union is a supranational union, it legally cannot have its own permanent seat on the UNSC. Instead, the European Union delegates its decision-making authority to member states that are in the UNSC.
Consequently, Scholz’s proposal noted that a permanent EU seat would remain a de jure French seat.
Scholz’s proposal was opposed by France, which argued that it already takes EU positions “into consideration” in the UNSC. Furthermore, the EU delegation arrangement allows France to take a proactive stance in the UNSC when the rest of the European Union has not reached consensus yet, ensuring a timely response to any emerging international crises.
Read the full story from Euractiv.
More from CNAS
-
Russia and the Rise of BRICS
This past Tuesday, Russia hosted a high-profile summit of the BRICS group in Kazan, Russia, demonstrating its growing determination to challenge the Western-led international ...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Kate Johnston
-
What Might We Expect in Foreign Policy During a Second Trump Term?
As the 2024 presidential elections draw nearer, it’s becoming increasingly urgent to understand the potential implications for U.S. foreign policy. This week, Brussels Sprouts...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Kate Johnston
-
Brussels Sprouts Live: NATO in the American Heartland
NATO marked its 75th anniversary this year – a testament to the strength and continued relevance of the alliance. Celebrations have been muted however, due to the ongoing conf...
By Mark Newton, Anniken Huitfeldt, Maria Markowska, John Deni & Rebecca Moore
-
Russia in the Middle East with Jonathan Lord and Hanna Notte
One year after the October 7 attacks by Hamas, the crisis in the Middle East has grown more and more complex. With the region teetering on the brink of broader conflict, the B...
By Jonathan Lord, Hanna Notte, Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend