This chapter article was published in "Britain Outside Europe? What would a “Brexit” mean, for the EU and the rest of the world?", DGAP Analyse, no. 16, September 2014.

France has a tradition of ambivalence vis-à-vis Britain’s role in the European Union. There are a number of fundamental differences between Paris and London regarding Europe’s direction, yet on other issues Britain is an important partner that France would not want to lose. Certainly, though, France will not hesitate to call Britain’s bluff.