The Financial Times has published a column arguing that Britain and France need a new entente, a fresh deal on how the two countries work together.
The piece looks back at the Suez crisis of 1956, when the two countries sent troops into Egypt and then pulled out under US pressure. It says that defeat still shapes how they see each other.
The writer argues that relations have been uneasy ever since Europe's postwar project began. The column sets out the case for closer ties but offers no detailed plan.
π The Backstory
The original Entente Cordiale was a 1904 agreement that ended centuries of rivalry between Britain and France. It led to them fighting side by side in two world wars.
Suez badly damaged both countries' belief in their own power. France moved towards closer European unity, while Britain stayed out of the early common market.
Today the two disagree over fishing, migrants crossing the Channel and how to handle Russia. Defence work together has improved, but trust is still thin.
π― Why It Matters
Britain and France are Europe's two biggest military powers. If they cooperate, deals on defence, trade and border control become far easier to reach.
The Financial Times has published a column arguing that Britain and France need a new entente, a fresh deal on how the two countries work together.
The piece looks back at the Suez crisis of 1956, when the two countries sent troops into Egypt and then pulled out under US pressure. It says that defeat still shapes how they see each other.
The writer argues that relations have been uneasy ever since Europe's postwar project began. The column sets out the case for closer ties but offers no detailed plan.
The original Entente Cordiale was a 1904 agreement that ended centuries of rivalry between Britain and France. It led to them fighting side by side in two world wars.
Suez badly damaged both countries' belief in their own power. France moved towards closer European unity, while Britain stayed out of the early common market.
Today the two disagree over fishing, migrants crossing the Channel and how to handle Russia. Defence work together has improved, but trust is still thin.
Britain and France are Europe's two biggest military powers. If they cooperate, deals on defence, trade and border control become far easier to reach.