To take ESDP forward, France will need Germany’s support. Yet for the moment Berlin is not inclined to give its backing to the French European presidency’s priorities on security and defence. Currently, France and Germany differ not only over revision of the European Security Strategy and reforming the mechanism for financing EU military operations. More importantly, Berlin has reservations on the direction in which France wishes to take ESDP and its motives for returning to NATO’s integrated military structure.
