The French Parliament ratified the accession protocols of Sweden and Finland to NATO, Tuesday August 2, by a vote of the National Assembly. The deputies adopted the text by 209 votes against 46 with the support of LR (right), the Socialist Party (PS) and environmentalists, the abstention of the RN (far right) and the vote against of LFI (La France Insoumise , radical left). The Senate had given the first green light on July 21, which still had to be confirmed in the other chamber.
“For NATO, it’s time to wake up” after “brain death” described by Emmanuel Macron, estimated the centrist president of the Foreign Affairs Commission, Jean-Louis Bourlanges (MoDem). The LR right supported this membership “legitimate” of “partners” who “regularly contribute to NATO operations”. But “the fact that European defense is not a sufficient guarantee of protection must challenge us”underlined Michèle Tabarot (LR).
The rebellious Aurélien Saintoul denounced a “dangerous process” with the “nato overlay” and the European Union. On the far right, Laurent Jacobelli (RN) criticized “a signal of defiance to Russia”with this process, presenting NATO as a “shop window of the military-industrial complex” the United States.
The two Nordic countries renounced their neutrality and decided to join NATO because of the deterioration of the security situation in Europe caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The signing of the accession protocols by the ambassadors of the thirty member countries opened the ratification process on July 5 at the headquarters of the Atlantic Alliance in Brussels.
This signature grants guest country status to Sweden and Finland. But they will not benefit from the protection of Article 5 of the NATO Charter in the event of an attack, as long as the 30 member states have not ratified their membership. At this stage, France joins “twenty allies” who “have already ratified the protocols”, said French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. With NATO, he “it’s about collective defense” and “under no circumstances to be offensive”she recalled.
Turkey, however, threatens to “freeze” the process, accusing the two Scandinavian countries of benevolence towards the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its allies that Ankara considers terrorist organizations. Socialist deputy Alain David notably criticized “the odious blackmail of Turkey” on the subject.