As the incoming Biden administration prepares to “renew U.S. democracy and alliances,” France and America are poised for a technology-focused rapprochement. France, once thought to be destined for decline and isolation in the early 2000s, has reemerged as a central player in 21st-century geopolitics. A revitalized U.S.-French alliance, anchored in deep technological cooperation, is critical to advancing America’s interests on multiple fronts. It is also a necessary path to defend France’s global interests, and to bolster its nascent high-tech sectors.
French power is more comprehensive than many Americans realize. It is estimated that by mid-century, France’s population will be roughly on par with Germany’s, for the first time in over a century. Unlike Germany or Japan, France holds a permanent seat in the U.N. Security Council and is able to project military might far beyond its borders. Unlike the United Kingdom, France is a powerhouse within European institutions. And as the only country straddling the geographic and cultural divides between northern and southern Europe, France is uniquely positioned to influence continental affairs. From the Near East to the Sahel and the Indo-Pacific, there has been much geopolitical commonality and coordinated action between France and the United States—through succeeding administrations in the past decade.
