The Role of French nuclear weapons in the Defense of Europe

18. Oktober 2024
09:30 - 14:30

Since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the issue of nuclear security in Europe has been the subject of an intensive debate. Alongside the nuclear powers France and the UK, the USA in particular guarantees the nuclear defense umbrella in Europe. As part of nuclear sharing, member states without their own nuclear weapons also benefit from the USA's nuclear protection.

NATO's ability to defend itself in Europe is therefore currently dependent on the USA's willingness to defend European NATO partners militarily in the event of a conflict, but Europeans should not rely solely on the USA's nuclear defense. 

Should Germany participate in the French force de frappe or even have its own nuclear weapon? Could French nuclear weapons complement the European nuclear umbrella? How realistic is the idea of a rotating "red button" among European countries?

These and other questions will be discussed at a special edition of the Franco-German strategic dialogue on October 18, 2024. In two exclusive workshops, the French and German perspectives on nuclear deterrence will be elaborated and the results presented as impulses for the public panel discussion, to which we would like to cordially invite you.

Program and guests

Part I – only with registration via mail to: schneiderju@uni-bonn.de

9.30 – 9.45 a.m. : Opening

Prof. Dr. Peter Geiss, Professor of Didactics of History at the Institute of History, Board Member of the Centre Ernst Robert Curtius (CERC), University of Bonn

9.45 – 11.30 a.m. : Workshops

• (Titel tbd) Jun.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Lutsch, Lecturer at the Chair of Military History, University of Potsdam
• “The Role of French Nuclear Weapon in the Defense of Europe”, led by Héloise Fayet, Research Fellow at the Security Studies Center, French Institute of International Relations, Paris
   

11.30 – 12.30 p.m. : Break

Part II – registration via this link

12.30 – 12.35 p.m. : Welcoming Remarks

Dr. Matthieu Osmont, Director of the Institut français Bonn

12.35 – 1.15 p.m. : Impulse Statements

• Gen. (ret.) Denis Mercier, Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation
   

1.15 - 1.45 p.m. : Presentation of the workshop results

• Héloise Fayet, Research Fellow at the Security Studies Center, French Institute of International Relations, Paris
• Jun.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Lutsch, Lecturer at the Chair of Military History, University of Potsdam
   

1.45 - 2.30 p.m. : Discussion

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schlie, Henry-Kissinger-Professor for Security and Strategic Studies, Director of the Center for Advances Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS), University of Bonn

2.30 p.m. : Conclusive Remarks

Iris B. Müller, Programme Executive for North Rhine-Westphalia, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, Dusseldorf