French foreign policy towards Poland (1989-1993)
<p>This thesis sets out to examine France's foreign policy with regard to Poland between 1989 and 1993. While some scholars, such as Ayache, have analysed French policy approaches towards Central and Eastern Europe in general during this period, none have focused on French foreign policy...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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1995
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| _version_ | 1824458609218551808 |
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| author | Dangelmayer, AM |
| author_facet | Dangelmayer, AM |
| author_sort | Dangelmayer, AM |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | <p>This thesis sets out to examine France's foreign policy with regard to Poland between 1989 and 1993. While some scholars, such as Ayache, have analysed French policy approaches towards Central and Eastern Europe in general during this period, none have focused on French foreign policy towards Poland in particular. Poland has also been chosen for this analysis of French foreign policy towards a Central Eastern European state after the Cold War, by virtue of its geopolitical and geostrategic position as a comparatively strong middle power in Central Eastern Europe and because it had been a traditional ally of France in political, economic and cultural fields.</p>
<p>This thesis attempts to analyse why and how France transformed her foreign policy and her approach towards Poland, in the context of post-Cold War changes in Europe beginning in autumn 1989.3 It analyses and explains the transformation of French foreign policy as well as the increasing multilateralisation of Franco-Polish relations within the context of the European Community (EC). 'Multilateralisation' is used here to explain how France pursued policies towards Poland through the EC so as to achieve her policy aims at home as well as in Poland. In order to account for the shifts in French foreign policy this thesis will examine how both the changing external environment, as well as domestic pressure groups influenced French foreign policy towards Poland and forced the French government to multilateralise Franco-Polish relations. On the basis of these findings, the modalities of multilateralisation, that is how France pursued her approach towards Poland in the European Community context, will then be discussed.</p>
<p>The central hypothesis underlying this thesis is France, since 1989, has increasingly used a multilateral approach to Poland as an instrument and an alternative to French national strategies and that this was the product of external constraints and the pressures from specific domestic interest groups. An outline of the traditional principles of French foreign policy and France's policies towards Poland during the Cold War will introduce this argument and establish the historical context (chapter I). However, the main focus of this study is on French national strategies and their multilateral dimension in the post-1989 period. Chapters II and III examine two critical factors causing this increased mulitlateralisation: namely external and domestic constraints. Chapter II analyses the ways in which French foreign policy developed between 1989 and 1993. The focus will be on Franco-Polish relations, although these will be examined within a broader international context which includes the political, economic and military transformations in Central and Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union/CIS, German unification and the central role of the EC during these post-Cold War transitions. Chapter III looks at the pressures exercised within France by specific interest groups and why these encouraged French political leaders to turn to the EC. These pressure groups represented interests that would themselves be influenced by major economic/commercial changes in Europe. The French agricultural and industrial pressure groups, in particular, were a major cause of the increasing multilateralisation of Franco-Polish relations. Taking into account these domestic pressures, chapter V examines the ways in which France looked to the EC, and especially to the Association Agreement (Europe Agreement), to effect policy change. This last is used as a case study of France's multilateral strategy, since it constitutes the most extensive multilateral agreement affecting France's relations with Poland. As it is a major concern of this thesis to demonstrate that the EC became an instrument in France's relations with Poland, chapter IV shows how French political leaders used the instrument of EC policy-making to both deal with domestic problems and extend their policy reach with regard to Poland. Furthermore, it will be shown that the multilateral approach itself affected France's policy goals with regard to Poland.</p>
<p>The realist and liberal institutionalist analyses will show that France pursued a multilateral foreign policy approach in the context of the EC which was complementary to bilateral strategies. After the end of the Cold War, Community strategies became an integral part of France's relations with Poland. The Community's operation and the functions and policies which the Community represented were a useful instrument for France in its pursuit of relations with Poland. This policy strategy allowed France to continue to focus on Western Europe whilst at the same time responding to the changing environment of Eastern and Western European relations. But multilateralisation has not signalled an end to national interest politics. Indeed this thesis will demonstrate the persistence of national interest politics in the context of multilateral approaches. Increasing multilateralisation was a pragmatic political solution in response to interest group pressures and did not represent a 'u-turn' in French foreign policy strategies.</p>
<p>This study will focus on the period between autumn 1989 and the end of the French Socialist government in April 1993. It is beyond the scope of this work to look at the policy approaches of the Balladur government of 1993-1995 and the developments related to the association process of Poland to the EC. References to other EC member states, especially Germany, are intended to substantiate the argument but not to open up a comparative debate. Economic aspects of the issue under consideration will only be analysed in as much as they were relevant to political relations.</p>
<p>This thesis does not set out to examine Poland's foreign policies or the EC's relations with Poland. The EC is merely analysed as a mediator. However, a more extensive analysis of the Community's policies towards Poland or of the Polish position would complement and sharpen the insights into the subject. An examination of sectoral and promotional interests at the European level would serve to substantiate the analysis of domestic pressures. These aspects are beyond the scope of this thesis, but would represent interesting areas for further research.</p>
<p>Given the absence of comprehensive secondary sources, this thesis is based to a large extent on primary sources. These include the debates of the Assemblée Nationale and the Sénat, official documents of the Assemblée, treaties, speeches, communiqués, transcripts of the Commission for External Affairs of the Assemblée and European Community documents. In addition, a wide range of general studies and articles on French foreign policy covering the period during and after the Cold War was used, as were secondary sources on French relations with Central and Eastern Europe since the Cold War, the domestic environment, and the Europe agreements. Further sources include newspaper cuttings and interviews with Frederic Billet, the official responsible for Central and Eastern European affairs at the French Foreign Ministry, Etienne Pinte, the deputy of the Assemblée Nationale and rapporteur for Franco-Polish relations, and Tomasz Orlowski, a consultant to the Polish ambassador to France.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2025-02-19T04:28:36Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oxford-uuid:940f122b-4066-4daa-894d-b7e6b184a793 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-02-19T04:28:36Z |
| publishDate | 1995 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:940f122b-4066-4daa-894d-b7e6b184a7932024-12-11T09:28:51ZFrench foreign policy towards Poland (1989-1993)Thesishttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_bdccuuid:940f122b-4066-4daa-894d-b7e6b184a793France -- Foreign relations -- PolandFrance -- Foreign relations -- 1981-1995Poland -- Foreign relations -- FranceEnglishHyrax Deposit1995Dangelmayer, AM<p>This thesis sets out to examine France's foreign policy with regard to Poland between 1989 and 1993. While some scholars, such as Ayache, have analysed French policy approaches towards Central and Eastern Europe in general during this period, none have focused on French foreign policy towards Poland in particular. Poland has also been chosen for this analysis of French foreign policy towards a Central Eastern European state after the Cold War, by virtue of its geopolitical and geostrategic position as a comparatively strong middle power in Central Eastern Europe and because it had been a traditional ally of France in political, economic and cultural fields.</p> <p>This thesis attempts to analyse why and how France transformed her foreign policy and her approach towards Poland, in the context of post-Cold War changes in Europe beginning in autumn 1989.3 It analyses and explains the transformation of French foreign policy as well as the increasing multilateralisation of Franco-Polish relations within the context of the European Community (EC). 'Multilateralisation' is used here to explain how France pursued policies towards Poland through the EC so as to achieve her policy aims at home as well as in Poland. In order to account for the shifts in French foreign policy this thesis will examine how both the changing external environment, as well as domestic pressure groups influenced French foreign policy towards Poland and forced the French government to multilateralise Franco-Polish relations. On the basis of these findings, the modalities of multilateralisation, that is how France pursued her approach towards Poland in the European Community context, will then be discussed.</p> <p>The central hypothesis underlying this thesis is France, since 1989, has increasingly used a multilateral approach to Poland as an instrument and an alternative to French national strategies and that this was the product of external constraints and the pressures from specific domestic interest groups. An outline of the traditional principles of French foreign policy and France's policies towards Poland during the Cold War will introduce this argument and establish the historical context (chapter I). However, the main focus of this study is on French national strategies and their multilateral dimension in the post-1989 period. Chapters II and III examine two critical factors causing this increased mulitlateralisation: namely external and domestic constraints. Chapter II analyses the ways in which French foreign policy developed between 1989 and 1993. The focus will be on Franco-Polish relations, although these will be examined within a broader international context which includes the political, economic and military transformations in Central and Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union/CIS, German unification and the central role of the EC during these post-Cold War transitions. Chapter III looks at the pressures exercised within France by specific interest groups and why these encouraged French political leaders to turn to the EC. These pressure groups represented interests that would themselves be influenced by major economic/commercial changes in Europe. The French agricultural and industrial pressure groups, in particular, were a major cause of the increasing multilateralisation of Franco-Polish relations. Taking into account these domestic pressures, chapter V examines the ways in which France looked to the EC, and especially to the Association Agreement (Europe Agreement), to effect policy change. This last is used as a case study of France's multilateral strategy, since it constitutes the most extensive multilateral agreement affecting France's relations with Poland. As it is a major concern of this thesis to demonstrate that the EC became an instrument in France's relations with Poland, chapter IV shows how French political leaders used the instrument of EC policy-making to both deal with domestic problems and extend their policy reach with regard to Poland. Furthermore, it will be shown that the multilateral approach itself affected France's policy goals with regard to Poland.</p> <p>The realist and liberal institutionalist analyses will show that France pursued a multilateral foreign policy approach in the context of the EC which was complementary to bilateral strategies. After the end of the Cold War, Community strategies became an integral part of France's relations with Poland. The Community's operation and the functions and policies which the Community represented were a useful instrument for France in its pursuit of relations with Poland. This policy strategy allowed France to continue to focus on Western Europe whilst at the same time responding to the changing environment of Eastern and Western European relations. But multilateralisation has not signalled an end to national interest politics. Indeed this thesis will demonstrate the persistence of national interest politics in the context of multilateral approaches. Increasing multilateralisation was a pragmatic political solution in response to interest group pressures and did not represent a 'u-turn' in French foreign policy strategies.</p> <p>This study will focus on the period between autumn 1989 and the end of the French Socialist government in April 1993. It is beyond the scope of this work to look at the policy approaches of the Balladur government of 1993-1995 and the developments related to the association process of Poland to the EC. References to other EC member states, especially Germany, are intended to substantiate the argument but not to open up a comparative debate. Economic aspects of the issue under consideration will only be analysed in as much as they were relevant to political relations.</p> <p>This thesis does not set out to examine Poland's foreign policies or the EC's relations with Poland. The EC is merely analysed as a mediator. However, a more extensive analysis of the Community's policies towards Poland or of the Polish position would complement and sharpen the insights into the subject. An examination of sectoral and promotional interests at the European level would serve to substantiate the analysis of domestic pressures. These aspects are beyond the scope of this thesis, but would represent interesting areas for further research.</p> <p>Given the absence of comprehensive secondary sources, this thesis is based to a large extent on primary sources. These include the debates of the Assemblée Nationale and the Sénat, official documents of the Assemblée, treaties, speeches, communiqués, transcripts of the Commission for External Affairs of the Assemblée and European Community documents. In addition, a wide range of general studies and articles on French foreign policy covering the period during and after the Cold War was used, as were secondary sources on French relations with Central and Eastern Europe since the Cold War, the domestic environment, and the Europe agreements. Further sources include newspaper cuttings and interviews with Frederic Billet, the official responsible for Central and Eastern European affairs at the French Foreign Ministry, Etienne Pinte, the deputy of the Assemblée Nationale and rapporteur for Franco-Polish relations, and Tomasz Orlowski, a consultant to the Polish ambassador to France.</p> |
| spellingShingle | France -- Foreign relations -- Poland France -- Foreign relations -- 1981-1995 Poland -- Foreign relations -- France Dangelmayer, AM French foreign policy towards Poland (1989-1993) |
| title | French foreign policy towards Poland (1989-1993) |
| title_full | French foreign policy towards Poland (1989-1993) |
| title_fullStr | French foreign policy towards Poland (1989-1993) |
| title_full_unstemmed | French foreign policy towards Poland (1989-1993) |
| title_short | French foreign policy towards Poland (1989-1993) |
| title_sort | french foreign policy towards poland 1989 1993 |
| topic | France -- Foreign relations -- Poland France -- Foreign relations -- 1981-1995 Poland -- Foreign relations -- France |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dangelmayeram frenchforeignpolicytowardspoland19891993 |