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La politique française de soutien aux exportations d'armement : raisons et limites d'un succès

Studies
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Focus Stratégique
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Focus stratégique, No. 73, June 2017
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During François Hollande’s five-year term French defense exports have reached quite spectacular results. Arms sales abroad have increased at least fourfold since 2012, when the former presidential team came to power.

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In order to explain this commercial success, one must put it back into a long-term historical perspective, anchored in a French tradition that began in the early Fifth Republic and which has since continued to adapt to the global strategic and economic context. While Hollande’s Presidency has managed to conduct a successful trade-promotion policy through efficient decision-making processes, it also benefited from an international context favorable to its overseas sales. However, how sustainable is this success? As a new presidential team is setting up, one now has to take into account the potential risks of these arms exports for French strategic autonomy.

 

This content is available in French: La politique française de soutien à l'export de défense : raisons et limites d'un succès.

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978-2-36567-702-8

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Image de couverture de la publication
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Lucie BÉRAUD-SUDREAU, « La politique française de soutien aux exportations d'armement : raisons et limites d'un succès », Studies, Focus Stratégique, Ifri, 8 June 2017.
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