When Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the internationally condemned act of aggression turned the political platforms of France's presidential candidates on their respective heads. The invasion that triggered Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II saw parochial issues usurped by a conflict that has torn open France's Cold War rivalries.
When France's political parties mobilised ahead of the 2022 presidential and legislative elections at the end of 2021, French foreign policy was relegated to a sub-category, as the main issues clear and present on the hustings were purchasing power, migration control and national security.
