France

==Government and politics==
{{Main|Politics of France}}

===Government===
{{multiple image
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 | image1            = Emmanuel Macron 2023 (cropped).jpg
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 | caption1          = [[Emmanuel Macron]]<br />[[President of France]]<br />since 14 May 2017
 | image2            = Gabriel Attal, February 2023.jpg
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 | caption2          = [[Gabriel Attal]]<br />[[Prime Minister of France]]<br />since 9 January 2024
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France is a [[representative democracy]] organised as a [[Unitary state|unitary]], [[Semi-presidential system|semi-presidential]] [[republic]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Constitutional Limits on Government: Country Studies – France |url=http://www.democracyweb.org/limits/france.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130828081904/http://democracyweb.org/limits/france.php |archive-date=28 August 2013 |access-date=30 September 2013 |website=Democracy Web: Comparative studies in Freedom}}</ref> As one of the earliest republics of the modern world, democratic traditions and values are deeply rooted in French culture, identity and politics.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=France {{!}} History, Map, Flag, Capital, & Facts |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/France |access-date=27 August 2021 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}}</ref> The Constitution of the Fifth Republic was approved by [[1958 French constitutional referendum|referendum]] on 28 September 1958, establishing a framework consisting of executive, legislative and judicial branches.<ref>{{Cite book |first=Helen |last=Drake |title=Contemporary France |date=2011 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-0-333-79243-8 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=7L8cBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA95 95] |doi=10.1007/978-0-230-36688-6}}</ref> It sought to address the instability of the Third and Fourth Republics by combining elements of both parliamentary and presidential systems, while greatly strengthening the authority of the executive relative to the legislature.<ref name=":1"/>

The executive branch has two leaders. The [[President of France|President of the Republic]], currently [[Emmanuel Macron]], is the [[head of state]], elected directly by universal adult suffrage for a five-year term.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Le quinquennat : le référendum du 24 Septembre 2000 |trans-title=The 5-year term: referendum of 24 September 2000 |url=http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/dossiers/quinquennat/index.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100812105736/http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/dossiers/quinquennat/index.shtml |archive-date=12 August 2010 |language=fr}}</ref> The [[Prime Minister of France|Prime Minister]], currently [[Gabriel Attal]], is the [[head of government]], appointed by the President to lead the [[Government of France|government]]. The President has the power to dissolve Parliament or circumvent it by submitting referendums directly to the people; the President also appoints judges and civil servants, negotiates and ratifies international agreements, as well as serves as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The Prime Minister determines public policy and oversees the civil service, with an emphasis on domestic matters.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 March 2013 |title=The French National Assembly – Constitution of October 4, 1958 |url=http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/english/8ab.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130313212736/http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/english/8ab.asp |archive-date=13 March 2013 |access-date=27 August 2021}}</ref> In the [[2022 French presidential election|2022 presidential election]], president Macron was re-elected.<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 April 2022 |title=What's in Emmanuel Macron's intray after his re-election as French president? |language=en |work=the Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/24/whats-in-emmanuel-macrons-intray-after-his-re-election-as-french-president}}</ref> 2 months later, in the [[2022 French legislative election|June 2022 legislative elections]], Macron lost his parliamentary majority and had to form a [[minority government]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2 July 2022 |title=France learns parliamentary democracy the hard way |language=en |work=Politico |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/france-learns-parliamentary-democracy-the-hard-way/}}</ref>

[[File:Palais Bourbon, Paris 7e, NW View 140402 1.jpg|thumb|[[Palais Bourbon]], the meeting place of the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]], the lower legislative chamber of the [[French Parliament]]]]
The legislature consists of the [[French Parliament]], a [[Bicameralism|bicameral]] body made up of a [[lower house]], the [[National Assembly (France)|National Assembly]] (''Assemblée nationale'') and an [[upper house]], the [[Senate (France)|Senate]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The National Assembly and the Senate&nbsp;– General Characteristics of the Parliament |url=http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/english/synthetic_files/file_4.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205055025/http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/english/synthetic_files/file_4.asp |archive-date=5 December 2008 |website=Assemblée Nationale}}</ref> Legislators in the National Assembly, known as ''[[députés]]'', represent local constituencies and are directly elected for five-year terms.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Election of deputies |url=http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/english/election.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704054719/http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/english/election.asp |archive-date=4 July 2011 |website=Assemblée Nationale}}</ref> The Assembly has the power to dismiss the government by majority vote. Senators are chosen by an electoral college for six-year terms, with half the seats submitted to election every three years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The senatorial elections |url=http://www.senat.fr/lng/en/election_senateurs.html |website=Sénate |access-date=30 July 2010 |archive-date=15 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615001205/http://www.senat.fr/lng/en/election_senateurs.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Senate's legislative powers are limited; in the event of disagreement between the two chambers, the National Assembly has the final say.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 August 2007 |title=Le role du Sénat |trans-title=What is the purpose of the Senate? |url=http://www.politique.net/2007081801-le-role-du-senat.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618060857/http://www.politique.net/2007081801-le-role-du-senat.htm |archive-date=18 June 2010 |language=fr}}</ref> The parliament is responsible for determining the rules and principles concerning most areas of law, political amnesty, and fiscal policy; however, the government may draft specific details concerning most laws.

Until World War II, [[Radicalism (historical)|Radicals]] were a strong political force in France, embodied by the [[Republican, Radical and Radical-Socialist Party]] which was the most important party of the Third Republic. From World War II until 2017, French politics was dominated by two politically opposed groupings: one left-wing, the [[French Section of the Workers' International]], which was succeeded by the [[Socialist Party (France)|Socialist Party]] (in 1969); and the other right-wing, the [[Gaullist Party]], whose name changed over time to the [[Rally of the French People]] (1947), the [[Union of Democrats for the Republic]] (1958), the [[Rally for the Republic]] (1976), the [[Union for a Popular Movement]] (2007) and [[The Republicans (France)|The Republicans]] (since 2015). In the 2017 presidential and legislative elections, the [[Radical centrism|radical centrist]] party [[La République En Marche!]] (LREM) became the dominant force, overtaking both Socialists and Republicans. LREM's opponent in the second round of the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections was the growing far-right party [[National Rally]] (RN). Since 2020, [[Europe Ecology – The Greens]] (EELV) have performed well in mayoral elections in major cities<ref>{{Cite web | author = Romain Brunet | website = France24 | title = After green wave in local elections, is France's left back on track? | date = 29 June 2020 | url = https://www.france24.com/en/20200629-after-green-wave-in-local-elections-is-france-s-left-back-on-track | language = en}}</ref> while on a national level, an alliance of Left parties (the [[NUPES]]) was the second-largest voting block elected to the lower house in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web | website = France 24 | title = Takeaways from the final round of France's parliamentary elections | url = https://www.france24.com/en/france/20220620-takeaways-from-the-second-round-of-france-s-parliamentary-elections | date = 20 June 2022 | language = en }}</ref> Additionally, [[right-wing populism|right-wing populist]] RN became the largest opposition party in the National Assembly in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web | website = Politico | title = The makeover of France's National Rally | url = https://www.politico.eu/article/marine-le-pen-for-frances-national-rally-the-past-still-looms/ | date = 16 October 2022 | language = en }}</ref>

The electorate is constitutionally empowered to vote on amendments passed by the Parliament and bills submitted by the president. Referendums have played a key role in shaping French politics and even foreign policy; voters have decided on such matters as Algeria's independence, the election of the president by popular vote, the formation of the EU, and the reduction of presidential term limits.<ref>{{Cite web |title=France – Parliamentary composition and functions |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/France |access-date=27 August 2021 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}}</ref>

===Law===
{{Main|Law of France}}
France uses a [[Civil law (legal system)|civil legal]] system, wherein law arises primarily from written statutes;<ref name=France/> judges are not to make law, but merely to interpret it (though the amount of judicial interpretation in certain areas makes it equivalent to [[case law]] in a [[common law]] system). Basic principles of the [[rule of law]] were laid in the [[Napoleonic Code]] (which was, in turn, largely based on the royal law codified under [[Louis XIV]]). In agreement with the principles of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, the law should only prohibit actions detrimental to society. As [[Guy Canivet]], first president of the [[Court of Cassation (France)|Court of Cassation]] wrote about the management of prisons: "Freedom is the rule, and its restriction is the exception; any restriction of Freedom must be provided for by Law and must follow the principles of necessity and proportionality." That is, Law should lay out prohibitions only if they are needed, and if the inconveniences caused by this restriction do not exceed the inconveniences that the prohibition is supposed to remedy.
[[File:Declaration of Human Rights.jpg|thumb|left|upright|alt=color drawing of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen from 1789|The basic principles that the French Republic must respect are found in the 1789 [[Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen]].]]

French law is divided into two principal areas: [[private law]] and [[public law]]. Private law includes, in particular, [[civil law (common law)|civil law]] and [[criminal law]]. Public law includes, in particular, [[administrative law]] and [[constitutional law]]. However, in practical terms, French law comprises three principal areas of law: civil law, criminal law, and administrative law. Criminal laws can only address the future and not the past (criminal ''[[Ex post facto law|ex post facto]]'' laws are prohibited).<ref>In European countries, legal doctrine has long faced the question of succession of criminal laws in time: {{Cite journal |last=Buonomo |first=Giampiero |year=2015 |title=La rivendicazione di Gallo |journal=Mondoperaio Edizione Online}}</ref> While administrative law is often a subcategory of civil law in many countries, it is completely separated in France and each body of law is headed by a specific supreme court: [[French judiciary courts|ordinary courts]] (which handle criminal and civil litigation) are headed by the [[Court of Cassation (France)|Court of Cassation]] and administrative courts are headed by the [[Conseil d'Etat (France)|Council of State]]. To be applicable, every law must be officially published in the ''[[Journal officiel de la République française]]''.

France does not recognise [[religious law]] as a motivation for the enactment of prohibitions; it has long abolished [[blasphemy]] laws and [[sodomy law]]s (the latter in 1791). However, "offences against [[Decency|public decency]]" (''contraires aux bonnes mœurs'') or [[breach of the peace|disturbing public order]] (''trouble à l'ordre public'') have been used to repress public expressions of homosexuality or street prostitution.

France generally has a positive reputation regarding [[LGBT rights in France|LGBT rights]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Country Ranking - Rainbow Europe|url=https://rainbow-europe.org/country-ranking|website=rainbow-europe.org|access-date=28 October 2021|archive-date=21 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190521004552/https://rainbow-europe.org/country-ranking|url-status=live}}</ref> Since 1999, [[Pacte civil de solidarité|civil unions]] for homosexual couples have been permitted, and since 2013, [[same-sex marriage]] and [[LGBT adoption]] are legal.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 May 2013 |title=François Hollande signs same-sex marriage into law |publisher=France 24 |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20130518-france-gay-marriage-law-adoption |access-date=27 June 2013}}</ref> Laws prohibiting discriminatory speech in the press are [[Law on the Freedom of the Press of 29 July 1881|as old as 1881]]. Some consider [[hate speech laws in France]] to be too broad or severe, undermining [[freedom of speech]].<ref>"France: Strict Defamation and Privacy Laws Limit Free Expression&nbsp;– Index on Censorship| Index on Censorship." France: Strict Defamation and Privacy Laws Limit Free Expression&nbsp;– Index on Censorship| Index on Censorship. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 February 2014. {{Cite web |title=France: Strict defamation and privacy laws limit free expression – Index on Censorship |url=http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2013/08/france-faces-restrictions-on-free-expression/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130922214544/http://www.indexoncensorship.org/2013/08/france-faces-restrictions-on-free-expression/ |archive-date=22 September 2013 |access-date=18 February 2014}}.</ref>
France has laws against racism and [[antisemitism]],<ref>{{In lang|fr}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20101205103557/http://www.ambafrance-dz.org/ambassade/IMG/Lutte_racisme_et_antisemitisme.pdf La lutte contre le racisme et l'antisémintisme en France]. AmbaFrance</ref> while the 1990 [[Gayssot Act]] prohibits [[Holocaust denial]]. In 2024, France became the first nation in the European Union to explicitly protect [[abortion]] in its [[Constitution of France|constitution]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Niewiarowski |first1=Erik |title=France makes abortion a constitutional right in historic vote |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/03/05/france-makes-abortion-a-constitutional-right-in-historic-vote/ |website=PinkNews |date=5 March 2024 |access-date=5 March 2024}}</ref>

[[Freedom of religion in France|Freedom of religion]] is constitutionally guaranteed by the 1789 [[Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen]]. The [[1905 French law on the Separation of the Churches and the State]] is the basis for ''[[laïcité]]'' (state secularism): the state does not formally recognise any religion, [[Concordat in Alsace-Moselle|except in Alsace-Moselle]], which was part of Germany in 1905, and continues to subsidize education and clergy of Catholicism, Lutheranism, Calvinism, and Judaism. Nonetheless, France does recognise religious associations. The Parliament has [[Groups referred to as cults in government reports#France|listed many religious movements as dangerous cults]] since 1995 and has [[French law on secularity and conspicuous religious symbols in schools|banned wearing conspicuous religious symbols in schools]] since 2004. In 2010, it banned the [[French ban on face covering|wearing of face-covering Islamic veils in public]]; human rights groups such as [[Amnesty International]] and [[Human Rights Watch]] described the law as discriminatory towards Muslims.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Kenneth |last=Roth |date=26 February 2004 |title=Human Rights Watch |url=http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/02/26/france7666.htm |access-date=31 January 2009 |publisher=Human Rights Watch}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=13 July 2010 |title=France votes to ban full-face veils |publisher=[[Amnesty International]] |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/france-votes-ban-full-face-veils-2010-07-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141207163309/http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/france-votes-ban-full-face-veils-2010-07-13 |archive-date=7 December 2014}}</ref> However, it is supported by most of the population.<ref>{{Cite web |title=L'image de l'islam en France |url=http://www.ifop.com/media/poll/2028-1-study_file.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312131944/http://www.ifop.com/media/poll/2028-1-study_file.pdf |archive-date=12 March 2014 |access-date=16 January 2017 |website=ifop.fr |publisher=IFOP |page=22 |language=fr}}</ref>
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===Foreign relations===
{{Main|Foreign relations of France}}
France is a founding member of the United Nations and serves as one of the [[Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council|permanent members of the UN Security Council]] with veto rights.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 July 2010 |title=Membership of the Security Councils of the UN |url=https://www.un.org/sc/members.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706231352/http://www.un.org/sc/members.asp |archive-date=6 July 2010}}</ref> In 2015, it was described as "the best networked state in the world" due to its membership in more international institutions than any other country;<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Soft Power 30 |url=http://www.comres.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Report_Final-published.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120204008/http://www.comres.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Report_Final-published.pdf |archive-date=20 November 2015 |website=[[Monocle (media company)|Monocle]]}}</ref> these include the G7, [[World Trade Organization]] (WTO),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Members and Observers |url=http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/org6_e.htm |access-date=30 October 2010 |website=World Trade Organization}}</ref> the [[Pacific Community]] (SPC)<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 February 2010 |title=History |url=http://www.spc.int/en/about-spc/history.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100828105101/http://www.spc.int/en/about-spc/history.html |archive-date=28 August 2010 |website=Secretariate of the Pacific Community}}</ref> and the [[Indian Ocean Commission]] (COI).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Les pays membres de la COI |trans-title=IOC member countries |url=http://www.coi-ioc.org/index.php?id=36 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402173028/http://www.coi-ioc.org/index.php?id=36 |archive-date=2 April 2012 |website=Commission de l'Océan Indien {{!}} Indian Ocean Commission |language=fr}}</ref> It is an associate member of the [[Association of Caribbean States]] (ACS)<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 July 1994 |title=About the Association of Caribbean States |url=http://www.acs-aec.org/index.php?q=about-the-acs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120822100530/http://www.acs-aec.org/index.php?q=about-the-acs |archive-date=22 August 2012 |access-date=22 June 2012 |publisher=Association of Caribbean States}}</ref> and a leading member of the {{Lang|fr|[[Organisation internationale de la Francophonie]]|italic=no}} (OIF) of 84 French-speaking countries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=84 États et gouvernements |trans-title=84 states and governments |url=http://www.francophonie.org/-Etats-et-gouvernements-.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003114546/http://www.francophonie.org/-Etats-et-gouvernements-.html |archive-date=3 October 2009 |access-date=22 July 2010 |publisher=Organisation internationale de la Francophonie}}</ref>
[[File:La francophonie mapa.svg|thumb|alt=La Francophonie map (dozens of countries in Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America are members of this international organisation.|88 states and governments are part of ''[[La Francophonie]]'',<ref>[https://www.francophonie.org/la-francophonie-en-bref-754 La Francophonie en bref], ''[[La Francophonie]]'', retrieved on 26 January 2020</ref> which promotes values of [[democracy]], [[multilingualism]] and [[cultural diversity]].<ref>Anne Gazeau-Secret, [https://www.cairn.info/revue-geoeconomie-2010-4-page-39.htm Francophonie et diplomatie d'influence], [[Cairn.info]], dans ''Géoéconomie'' 2010/4 (n° 55), pages 39 à 56</ref> France has been a key member of this global organisation since its inception in 1970.]]
[[File:Inauguration EYE2014 Parlement européen Strasbourg 9 mai 2014.jpg|thumb|alt=European Parliament opening in Strasbourg with crowd and many countries' flags on flagpoles|The [[European Parliament]] in [[Strasbourg]] (near the border with Germany). France is a founding member of all EU institutions.]]

As a significant hub for international relations, France has the [[List of diplomatic missions of France|third-largest assembly]] of [[diplomatic mission]]s, second only to China and the United States, which are far more populous. It also hosts the headquarters of several [[international organization|international organisations]], including the [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|OECD]], [[UNESCO]], [[Interpol]], the [[International Bureau of Weights and Measures]], and the OIF.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Embassies and consulates |url=http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/ministry_158/embassies-and-consulates_2052/bilateral-embassies_1580.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100908014607/http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/ministry_158/embassies-and-consulates_2052/bilateral-embassies_1580.html |archive-date=8 September 2010 |website=France Diplomatie |publisher=The French Ministry of Foreign affairs}}</ref>

French foreign policy after World War II has been largely shaped by membership in the European Union, of which it was a [[Inner Six|founding member]]. Since the [[Élysée Treaty|1960s]], France has developed close ties with reunified Germany to become the [[France–Germany relations|most influential driving force of the EU]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pierre-Louis Germain |date=12 November 2009 |title=L'alliance Franco-allemande au coeur de la puissance européenne |trans-title=The Franco-German alliance at the heart of European power |url=http://www.oftt.eu/perspectives/article/l-alliance-franco-allemande-au-coeur-de-la-puissance-europeenne |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100123092331/http://www.oftt.eu/perspectives/article/l-alliance-franco-allemande-au-coeur-de-la-puissance-europeenne |archive-date=23 January 2010 |publisher=Institut Montaigne |language=fr}}</ref> In the 1960s, France sought to exclude the British from the European unification process,<ref>{{Cite news |date=27 November 1967 |title=De Gaulle says 'non' to Britain&nbsp;– again |publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/27/newsid_4187000/4187714.stm |access-date=21 July 2011}}</ref> seeking to build its standing in continental Europe. However, since 1904, France has maintained an "[[Entente cordiale]]" with the United Kingdom, and there has been a strengthening of links between the countries, especially [[Defence and Security Co-operation Treaty|militarily]].

France is a member of the [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization]] (NATO), but under President de Gaulle excluded itself from the joint military command, in protest of the [[Special Relationship]] between the United States and Britain, and to preserve the independence of French foreign and security policies. Under [[Nicolas Sarkozy]], France rejoined the NATO joint military command on 4 April 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Isabelle |last=Lasserre |date=11 March 2009 |title=Quand Mitterrand, déjà, négociait le retour de la France dans l'Otan |trans-title=Mitterrand already negotiated the return of France to NATO |url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2009/03/11/01003-20090311ARTFIG00073-quand-mitterrand-deja-negociait-le-retour-dans-l-otan-.php |website=Le Figaro |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=12 March 2009 |title=France ends four-decade Nato rift |publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7937666.stm |access-date=21 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Roger |first=Patrick |date=11 March 2009 |title=Le retour de la France dans l'OTAN suscite un malaise dans les rangs de la Droite |language=fr |trans-title=The return of France to NATO causes discomfort in the ranks of the right |work=Le Monde |location=Paris |url=http://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2009/03/11/le-retour-de-la-france-dans-l-otan-suscite-un-malaise-dans-les-rangs-de-la-droite_1166352_823448.html}}</ref>

France retains strong political and economic influence in its [[Second French colonial empire|former African colonies]] (''[[Françafrique]]'')<ref>{{Cite web |title=L'empire colonial français |url=http://www.memo.fr/article.asp?ID=CON_COL_009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425142925/http://www.memo.fr/article.asp?ID=CON_COL_009 |archive-date=25 April 2011}}</ref> and has supplied economic aid and troops for peacekeeping missions in [[Ivory Coast]] and [[Chad]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=France involvement in peace-keeping operations |url=http://www.delegfrance-onu-geneve.org/spip.php?article417 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425024055/http://www.delegfrance-onu-geneve.org/spip.php?article417 |archive-date=25 April 2011 |access-date=9 August 2010 |publisher=Delegfrance-onu-geneve.org}}</ref> From 2012 to 2021, France and other African states intervened in support of the [[Mali]]an government in the [[Northern Mali conflict]].

In 2017, France was the world's fourth-largest donor of [[development aid]] in absolute terms, behind the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Official development assistance (ODA) – Net ODA – OECD Data |url=http://data.oecd.org/oda/net-oda.htm |access-date=20 August 2019 |website=theOECD}}</ref> This represents 0.43% of its [[GNP]], the 12th highest among the OECD.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aid to developing countries rebounds in 2013 to reach an all-time high |url=http://www.oecd.org/newsroom/aid-to-developing-countries-rebounds-in-2013-to-reach-an-all-time-high.htm |access-date=3 March 2016 |publisher=OECD}}</ref> Aid is provided by the governmental [[French Development Agency]], which finances primarily humanitarian projects in [[sub-Saharan Africa]],<ref name="aid"/> with an emphasis on "developing infrastructure, access to health care and education, the implementation of appropriate economic policies and the consolidation of the rule of law and democracy".<ref name="aid">[http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france-priorities_1/index.html France priorities] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722114125/http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france-priorities_1/index.html|date=22 July 2010}}&nbsp;– France Diplomatie</ref>

===Military===
{{Main|French Armed Forces}}
{{Multiple image
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| image1            = Rafale_-_RIAT_2009_(3751416421).jpg
| caption1          = [[Dassault Rafale]] of the [[Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace]]
| image2            = French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91) underway on 24 April 2019 (190424-M-BP588-1005).jpg
| caption2          = ''[[French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle|Charles de Gaulle]]'' aircraft carrier of the [[French Navy|Marine nationale]]
| image3            = Bastille_Day_2014_Paris_-_Motorised_troops_063.jpg
| caption3          = [[Leclerc tank|AMX Leclerc]] tank of the [[French Army|Armée de terre]]
}}
The French Armed Forces ({{Lang|fr|Forces armées françaises}}) are the military and paramilitary forces of France, under the [[President of France|President of the Republic]] as supreme commander. They consist of the [[French Army]] ({{Lang|fr|Armée de Terre}}), the [[French Navy]] (''Marine Nationale'', formerly called ''Armée de Mer''), the [[French Air and Space Force]] (''Armée de l'Air et de l’Espace''), and the [[National Gendarmerie]] (''Gendarmerie nationale''), which serves as both [[military police]] and civil police in rural areas. Together they are among the [[List of countries by number of troops|largest armed forces]] in the world and the largest in the EU. According to a 2018 study by [[Crédit Suisse]], the French Armed Forces ranked as the [[List of countries by Military Strength Index|world's sixth-most powerful military]], and the second most powerful in Europe after [[Russia]].<ref name="CreditSuisse2015">{{Cite report |url=http://publications.credit-suisse.com/tasks/render/file/index.cfm?fileid=EE7A6A5D-D9D5-6204-E9E6BB426B47D054 |title=The End of Globalization or a more Multipolar World? |last1=O’Sullivan |first1=Michael |last2=Subramanian |first2=Krithika |date=17 October 2015 |publisher=[[Credit Suisse]] AG |access-date=14 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215235711/http://publications.credit-suisse.com/tasks/render/file/index.cfm?fileid=EE7A6A5D-D9D5-6204-E9E6BB426B47D054 |archive-date=15 February 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> France's annual military expenditure in 2022 was US$53.6 billion, or 1.9% [[List of countries by military expenditure share of GDP|of its GDP]], making it the [[List of countries by military expenditures|eighth biggest military spender in the world]].<ref>[https://www.sipri.org/publications/2019/sipri-fact-sheets/trends-world-military-expenditure-2018 Trends in World Military Expenditure] SIPRI. Retrieved 18 December 2019.</ref> There has been no national [[conscription]] since 1997.<ref>{{In lang|fr}} [http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/dossiers/service-civil/fin-service-militaire-obligatoire.shtml La fin du service militaire obligatoire] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100808230428/http://www.ladocumentationfrancaise.fr/dossiers/service-civil/fin-service-militaire-obligatoire.shtml|date=8 August 2010}}&nbsp;– La documentation française</ref>

France has been a [[List of states with nuclear weapons#Five nuclear-weapon states under the NPT|recognised nuclear state]] since 1960. It is a party to both the [[Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty]] (CTBT)<ref name="status">{{Cite web |date=26 May 2010 |title=Status of signature and ratification |url=http://www.ctbto.org/the-treaty/status-of-signature-and-ratification/ |access-date=27 May 2010 |publisher=CTBTO Preparatory Commission}}</ref> and the [[Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty]]. The French nuclear force (formerly known as "''[[Force de Frappe]]''") consists of four [[Triomphant class submarine|''Triomphant'']] class submarines equipped with [[submarine-launched ballistic missile]]s. In addition to the submarine fleet, it is estimated that France has about 60 [[Air-Sol Moyenne Portée|''ASMP'']] medium-range [[Air-to-surface missile|air-to-ground missiles]] with [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear warheads]];<ref>{{In lang|fr}} Centre de Documentation et de Recherche sur la Paix et les Conflits, [http://obsarm.org/obsnuc/puissances-mondiales/france-forces.html ''Etat des forces nucléaires françaises au 15 août 2004''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725004911/http://obsarm.org/obsnuc/puissances-mondiales/france-forces.html|date=25 July 2011}}</ref> 50 are deployed by the Air and Space Force using the [[Dassault Mirage 2000N/2000D|Mirage 2000N]] long-range nuclear strike aircraft, while around 10 are deployed by the French Navy's [[Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard|''Super Étendard Modernisé'' (SEM)]] attack aircraft, which operate from the nuclear-powered [[aircraft carrier]] [[French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (R91)|''Charles de Gaulle'']].

France has major military industries and one of the largest [[Aerospace manufacturer|aerospace sectors]] in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=90.07.06: The Aerospace Industry: Its History and How it Affects the U.S. Economy |url=http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1990/7/90.07.06.x.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920085434/http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1990/7/90.07.06.x.html |archive-date=20 September 2011 |access-date=21 July 2011 |publisher=Yale}}</ref> The country has produced such equipment as the Rafale fighter, the ''Charles de Gaulle'' aircraft carrier, the [[Exocet]] missile and the [[AMX-56 Leclerc|Leclerc]] tank among others. France is a major arms seller,<ref>{{Cite web |first=Thierry |last=Gadault |date=13 June 2002 |title=La France demeure un fournisseur d'armes de premier plan |trans-title=France stays one of the biggest arms supplier] |url=http://lexpansion.lexpress.fr/entreprise/la-france-demeure-un-fournisseur-d-armes-de-premier-plan_95084.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311161443/http://lexpansion.lexpress.fr/entreprise/la-france-demeure-un-fournisseur-d-armes-de-premier-plan_95084.html |archive-date=11 March 2012 |website=L'express |language=fr |quote=En 2001, la France a vendu pour 1,288&nbsp;milliard de dollars d'équipements militaires, ce qui la met au troisième rang mondial des exportateurs derrière les États-Unis et la Russie. [In 2001, France sold $1,288&nbsp;billion of military equipment, ranking 3rd in the world for arms exportations behind the USA and Russia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=8 February 2010 |title=Les ventes d'armes explosent en 2009 |trans-title=Sales of weapons explode in 2009 |url=https://www.20minutes.fr/economie/551139-20100208-economie-les-ventes-d-armes-explosent-en-2009 |access-date=6 January 2017 |website=20 minutes |language=fr |quote=La France est au 4ème rang mondial des exportateurs d'armes, derrière les Etats-Unis, le Royaume-Uni et la Russie, et devant Israël, selon un rapport du ministère de la Défense publié l'an dernier. [France is 4th biggest arms exporter, behind the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia, and ahead of Israel, according to a report of the Ministry of Defense published a year ago.]}}</ref> with most of its arsenal's designs available for the export market, except for nuclear-powered devices.

One French intelligence unit, the [[Directorate-General for External Security]] (''Direction générale de la sécurité extérieure''), is considered to be a component of the Armed Forces under the authority of the Ministry of Defense. The other, the Central Directorate for Interior Intelligence (''Direction centrale du renseignement intérieur'') is a division of the National Police Force (''Direction générale de la Police Nationale'').{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}} France's [[Cybersecurity|cybersecurity capabilities]] are regularly ranked as some of the most robust of any nation in the world.<ref>Bruce Sussman, [https://www.secureworldexpo.com/industry-news/countries-dedicated-to-cybersecurity The List: Best and Worst Countries for Cybersecurity], 13 November 2019, Securworld</ref><ref>[https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-d/opb/str/D-STR-GCI.01-2018-PDF-E.pdf Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) 2018], [[International Telecommunication Union]]</ref>

French weapons exported totaled 27 billion euros in 2022, up from 11.7 billion euros the previous year 2021. Additionally, the UAE alone contributed more than 16 billion euros arms to the French total.<ref>{{cite web|date=26 July 2023|title=Rafale Sales Help France Reach Arms Exports Record|url=https://www.barrons.com/articles/rafale-sales-help-france-reach-arms-exports-record-9efd68a2}}</ref> Among the largest French defence companies are [[Dassault Group|Dassault]], [[Thales Group|Thales]] and [[Safran]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-04-28 |title=Factbox: France's military and defense contractors |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-defence-factbox-idUSBRE93R01X20130428 |access-date=2023-10-28}}</ref>