French security management and the integrated approach to national security in the contemporary security environment

Abstract

France started major reforms in the security sector in 2008 with the White Paper, which contained the guiding principle for numerous changes which occurred from 2008 to 2022. During that period, France suffered several serious terrorist attacks and experienced crises which tested the effectiveness of the French national security system. The National Security Review presented in 2022 reiterates the determination from 2008 and describes six strategic objectives whose coordinated enforcement constitutes an integrated approach to national security. The strategic objectives pointed out in NSR 2022 encompass a plethora of intertwined and complementary military and non-military actions undertaken by numerous holders. Such a massive security system is coordinated by a wide and complex network which enables the integration of multiple actions at horizontal and vertical axes into a single activity under the authority of the President and the Prime Minister. At the same time, the strategic objectives are threatened by hybrid warfare, which is perceived as a strategy of foes (states and non-state actors) who combine military and non-military tools in order to achieve political aims at the expense of the national interests of the Republic. This research aims to test the general hypothesis that the French integrated approach presented in NSR 2022 is well adapted to the contemporary security environment and consistent with and complementary to the EU and NATO security policies while the security system of the French Republic is structured and managed in a way that ensures an integrated approach to national security. The French integrated approach, the structure of the security system and its management were described and explained in order to test the hypothesis.