Publication

In November 2010, Britain and France agreed an unprecedented programme of defence collaboration. The current crisis in Libya has provided a test-case for the agreement. Britain and France have thus far adopted a comparable policy and appear to have managed minor discrepancies amicably. Still, it is debatable whether their similar stance vindicates the agreement since domestic issues and not strategic interests per se appear to lie at the heart of their policy. How the military operation plays out could have a decisive impact on the programme's future.