The Particularity of French Universalism: Foreign Policy and the Expression of National Identity in the Twenty-First Century

A nation’s identity and national mythology, its sense of self, inform the expression of its foreign policy aspirations and motivations. This thesis explores how perceived status and national identity relate to the expression of French foreign policy. The principal interest of this analysis is to determine the extent to which changes in global balances of power influenced the expression of French identity and role. It studies the construction of the French international role as expressed by French President Emmanuel Macron in two foreign policy speeches: one at the Sorbonne on France’s European policy and another in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on France’s African policy. This analysis considers Macron’s message as directed to an internal French audience, even if it is also expressed externally. By analyzing the contents of these speeches, this study establishes how Macron uses traditional French narratives and symbols in support of France’s power globally, and the extent to which his foreign policy rhetoric aligns with or differs from his predecessors’. While Macron’s willingness to pursue interdependence and his pursuit of cooperation through multilateral institutions marks a change from previous French presidents, his changed tactics still serve the traditional French goal of influencing international politics in accordance with French “universal” political values.