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France has been the most militarily active European member of NATO in recent years, both inside and outside its borders. As the author of this analysis sees it, this taxing tempo won’t make it easy for the next French President, who will certainly have to make difficult geostrategic, political and defense-related policy choices. (Their difficulty will be attributable, at least in part, to France’s desire to remain a “European power with global reach.”) On the plus side, however, the new president should enjoy widespread political support for further increased defense spending, and for deploying military force when necessary.