Europeanization without the European Union? French military reforms 1991-96

This article addresses the puzzle of the Europeanization of French military policy between 1991 and 1996. To what extent is there a Europeanization of French military policy? How can Europeanization be understood and conceptualized in this particular area? I discuss the theoretical debate on Europeanization specifically in the defence sector, and present a methodology based on the study of the decision-making process of French military reforms. The analysis refutes the thesis according to which Europeanization is no more than an alibi or an illusion in the case of French military policy. Studying the decision-making process of the 1991-96 reforms illustrates the impact of European integration on the transformation of French military policy, affecting both cognitive and normative frames, and the actors and the instruments of this public policy. Finally, it details the mechanisms of this Europeanization without the EU. Institutional mediations are important, but in this case indirect pressures, elite socialization and the learning process are more decisive factors.