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Today marks the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, a milestone that settled several territorial disputes and paved the way for much closer diplomatic cooperation between Britain and France.
It reflected a pragmatic insight that, regardless of the many differences in interests and prospects, the basic principles of geography and economics point to future cooperation rather than conflict on the part of these two old adversaries. The Entente Cordiale helped shore up Britain’s alliance with France during two world wars and beyond, and the phrase has become shorthand for the bilateral relationship (when things go well, that is).
The Entente has of course not reduced the complexity and highly competitive nature of some of our overlapping interests, and ‘business-as-usual’ often involves an element of tension or disagreement. There have been periods when the leaders of our two nations seemed to embody this perfectly: the complex but fruitful relationship between Churchill and De Gaulle during and after the Second World War, and the testy but pragmatic relationship between Margaret Thatcher and Francois Mitterrand. Here, as in so many other diplomatic worlds, personalities matter.
What makes the 120th anniversary celebration so important is that it comes after a low point in the relationship. Even the most enthusiastic optimist would struggle to see the early years of post-Brexit Franco-British relations as anything other than frosty and difficult. At least we haven’t returned to actual fighting, despite cries to send in the Royal Navy in May 2021 over a row over fishing rights off Jersey.
The real low point came in September that year with the announcement of the AUKUS security partnership, which, among other things, excluded France from an agreement to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. French ministers and diplomats felt blindsided and that their country’s strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific were being sidelined. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s response of “prenez un grip over dit and donnez-moi un break” hardly helped the mood.
In the wake of the rows over fishing rights, vaccines, energy and migration, there has been growing concern in diplomatic and security circles about this state of affairs and the need for a reset in the relationship. As it turned out, the events of the past eighteen months presented some important opportunities that diplomats on both sides quickly seized in an effort to warm up the Entente.
The passing of Queen Elizabeth II sparked a remarkable outpouring of tribute and love across the Channel, with President Macron poignantly describing the Queen’s significance to France: ‘To you, she was your Queen. To us she was the queen. She will be with all of us forever.” Diplomats ensured that the social media fragment was widely distributed here among political and government contacts.
The change in staff at 10 Downing Street enabled the page to be turned and the reset project got into full swing. Rishi Sunak’s participation, along with a host of his ministers, at an Anglo-French summit in Paris in March 2023, the first in five years, signaled the two governments’ determination to return to a more constructive relationship. Jointly, No.10 and the Elysée published a Joint Leaders Declaration to conclude the Summit, which emphasized the desire to pursue a shared vision for the bilateral future along the lines of defense, security, foreign policy, energy, migration, but also social and economic ties.
The continued difficulties of small boat crossings from northern France mean this is not quite the ‘Le Bromance’ moment some journalists suggested when the two leaders embraced at the summit. But both the atmosphere and the content of the discussions have changed considerably. Ministers, especially those of Defense, Energy and Trade, have been regularly back and forth to Paris to build on the work.
HM King Charles’ state visit to France last autumn was another milestone, with an extraordinary joint meeting of deputies and senators giving the King a standing ovation after his powerful speech on solidarity and continued cooperation: ‘together our potential is limitless’. The Entente Cordiale was well revived.
2024 marks two other anniversaries in the French-British partnership: the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings and the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Channel Tunnel. Both governments will want to use these celebrations as further opportunities to highlight the importance of the alliance and the Paris Olympics.
Diplomats on both sides of the Channel will be confident that, regardless of the political changes arising from the elections later this year in Britain, the basic parameters of a new, constructive post-Brexit bilateral relationship have been established. A lot of this is of course mood music, and there will be many heated discussions about migration, border controls, AUKUS, fish and much more. But 120 years later, there is still a lot of life in the Entente Cordiale.
Rt Hon Stephen Crabb MP is Chairman of the APPG for France
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