France must choose between its illusions and its power.

In 2026, France is the only nuclear power in the European Union, but according to the most recent data, it has provided less military aid to Ukraine than Poland, Germany, and the United Kingdom in proportion to its GDP. Yet its ruling class continues to act as if the center of the world is anywhere but at the heart of Europe. The text states: France still imagines itself as a global power, but it risks losing everything that truly matters at the most critical moment since the Cold War, not due to a lack of resources, but due to a misguided view of itself. Here, we see a powerful reversal: strength alone is not enough; we need to understand where to use it. The example of the SCAF program—Europe’s major project for the fighter jet of the future—is emblematic. It was supposed to be proof of the rebirth of a coordinated European defense, but instead it has become bogged down in industrial rivalries, dreams of sovereignty, and an outdated idea: that of a stable Europe that only needs to be defended on its periphery. Since 2025, with Trump’s return and America’s gradual disengagement, the reality has become stark: if France continues to focus on Africa and the Indo-Pacific, it risks becoming invisible precisely where everyone expects it to be present—Eastern Europe, threatened by a war that is no longer just a theoretical possibility. Take the data on aid to Ukraine: Poland, with a much smaller economy, has provided over €3.5 billion in military aid, more than France. Germany and the United Kingdom not only provided heavy weaponry, but also signed data exchange agreements with Kyiv, gaining access to key information for future weapons. France, on the other hand, has used many of the European funds intended to support Ukraine to replenish its own stockpiles. And its allies see this as a cold and clear signal: Paris does not want to compromise its autonomy, even at the cost of carrying less weight at the tables that matter. Here lies the heart of the problem: France maintains an army designed for global projection, for grandeur, for distant missions, while today's threat is real and much closer. Moreover, its defense industry model is still based on national needs and large-scale exports, leaving little room for genuine European cooperation. Thus, while Europe's BITD – the defense industrial and technological base – is being reconfigured around mass, speed, and shared data, France risks excluding itself from the games that matter, just as its credibility is eroded with each missed exercise or each meeting at which it is merely a spectator. But here comes the most poignant part: despite still having the most well-established military force and the only permanent seat on the Security Council, France risks becoming a central country only on the map, but irrelevant when it comes to real decisions. Because today, credibility is not earned through rhetoric about strategic autonomy, but through concrete investment where it is needed. And right now, it is needed in Europe. An alternative vision? Imagine if France stopped chasing the illusion of being everywhere and accepted that it is essential, here and now, for Europe’s collective defense. This would require a revolution in priorities: less focus on the myth of grandeur, more concrete commitment to shared tactical areas, and more courage to transform its industry and its doctrine. This seems difficult, not least because French politics is inextricably linked to this rhetoric of global power. Yet, the crossroads is here: remain faithful to past illusions or truly become the cornerstone of European security. The key phrase to remember is this: Today, France must choose between its illusions of global power and its true power at the heart of Europe. If you think this choice also has to do with how each of us perceives ourselves in relation to reality, on Lara Notes you can mark I'm In – it's a way of saying: This idea now belongs to you. And if you happen to discuss it with someone, perhaps over a map or at dinner with friends who dream of De Gaulle's France, on Lara Notes you can mark Shared Offline — because some conversations are worth as much as a public stance. This Note comes from Le Grand Continent and has saved you nearly thirty minutes of reading.