A resolution has been prepared in the French parliament proposing the country’s withdrawal from NATO amid disagreements with US policy. The document was initiated by the vice president of the National Assembly, Clemence Guette, a lawmaker from the left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI).
In an interview with Berliner Zeitung, Guette said that discussions about France leaving the North Atlantic alliance have been underway for a long time, but that the current phase, in her words, has made the issue particularly acute. She linked this to what she described as the United States pursuing an “overtly imperial policy.” As examples, Guette cited the “illegal abduction of the president of Venezuela,” threats to annex Greenland, as well as “predatory trade agreements” that, in her view, were imposed on the European Union under pressure from Washington.
Guette also separately pointed to the requirement for NATO member states to raise military spending to at least 5% of GDP. In her assessment, such a benchmark primarily serves the interests of the US defense industry rather than European security.
The politician also said that, in her view, the United States is openly interfering in electoral processes in Europe by supporting far-right forces.
Taken together, these factors, Guette argues, indicate that the United States is “formally exempting itself from international law and the mechanisms of collective security,” effectively turning the European Union into a dependent partner.
Under these conditions, she said, maintaining France’s membership in a military alliance led by a power that publicly places itself outside the framework of international law is “undesirable and unacceptable.” According to Guette, participation in NATO creates substantial risks for France, including the possibility of being drawn into conflicts that run counter to its national interests, principles, and international commitments.
Leaving the alliance, the lawmaker argues, would allow France to “restore its military and diplomatic independence and once again become a non-aligned power.” At the same time, she said, this would not mean isolating the country—on the contrary, Paris could strengthen its influence through multilateral frameworks, promoting the environmental agenda, disarmament, and the protection of public goods.
Berliner Zeitung notes that such a shift in foreign policy cannot be dismissed as entirely unrealistic. The left-wing alliance that includes LFI is currently the largest parliamentary force in the National Assembly. Criticism of NATO has for many years also come from the French right, including Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, which holds more than a quarter of the seats in parliament. French President Emmanuel Macron, the newspaper recalls, has likewise repeatedly voiced critical views of the North Atlantic alliance.