“Franco-British Strategic Dialogue”: A fresh start and shared agenda for the Franco-British relationship

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By Clément Beaune, Yves Bertoncini, Laura Chappell, Laurence de Nervaux, Susi Dennison, Alice Ekman, Charles Grant, Ben Judah, Jeanne Lebaudy, Jean-François Lucas, Sébastien Maillard, Sylvie Matelly, Clare Melford, Kathryn Nwajiaku-Dahou, Jérôme Quéré, Mujtaba Rahman, Rosalind Roberts, James Rogers, Grégoire Roos, Mathilde Velliet, Pierre Vimont

This note draws on a series of discussions with experts from multiple think tanks and institutions. Part of the participants contributed in a personal capacity. The views, interpretations and recommendations expressed here do not necessarily reflect the positions of every individual involved, nor of their respective organisations.

Context and Purpose

10 years after the Brexit vote, France and the United Kingdom are entering a new phase of strategic rapprochement. The war in Ukraine, transatlantic instability and economic upheavals have created a new strategic impetus for such closer alignment. Lancaster House 2.0, the Northwood Declaration, the Coalition of the Willing, growing de facto regulatory alignment between the EU and the United Kingdom are all positive signs that currently point in this direction, and must be amplified.

The first edition of the Franco-British Strategic Dialogue, which took place in Paris on June 10 and 11, 2026, brought together experts and representatives from both countries to identify concrete areas where cooperation can strengthen the ability of Europe’s two nuclear powers to act, protect democratic societies and shape the technological transformations ahead.

This note draws on the working papers and discussions prepared for the Dialogue. It brings together three themes: geopolitical risks, critical technologies and democratic resilience.

The exercise is deliberately practical. It does not seek to produce a comprehensive doctrine of Franco-British cooperation, but to identify a limited number of areas where the bilateral relationship can act as a bridge between the United Kingdom, France and the European Union, create scale where national efforts are insufficient, and align strategic ambition with democratic legitimacy.

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