Jean-François Bureau is a French Top Civil Servant.
The ideas here expressed are the responsibility of the author alone.
(This article is published in French only. Original title: 'L'étranger dans le champ de vision des Français')

Abstract

How do the French see the world? What do they think of their country’s foreign policy? Of the roles played by the United States, the European Union, Russia or China? Do they think France still has any influence on the world stage? What for them are the new threats that endanger their security? Has September 11 changed their view of the near and distant exterior? Jean-François Bureau tries to answer all these questions by looking at opinion polls and other measures of public opinion in France, Europe and the United States. No single view comes out of this study. On the one hand, the French seem suspicious of the outside world, to be afraid of it. On the other hand, they entrust Europe with their hopes of addressing in time the global trends that they believe too often run counter to their interests. Thus the French exception no longer provides solutions in the areas of defence or foreign policy to their concerns for the future of the country, whose power has, they are aware, declined.