Competing visions: the impact of Franco-German narrative divergence on EU strategy

The European Union’s ability to craft and project a coherent strategic narrative is crucial for its global influence, yet it is complicated by the divergent approaches of its two key players, France and Germany. This article examines the extent to which French and German strategic narratives converge or diverge across six key foreign policy areas: relations with the United States, China, Russia, Africa, military power, and multilateralism. Using the conceptual frameworks of strategic narratives and narrative alliances, it operationalizes a typology of narrative convergence across five analytical dimensions and introduces the concept of narrative type mismatch: the finding that France and Germany frequently narrate the same issues through different types of narratives (system, identity, or policy), generating structural divergence even when substantive positions overlap. The analysis reveals that while both countries share the overarching goal of a strong Europe, the variations in their narrative types create a fragmented narrative alliance that weakens the EU’s ability to act as a unified geopolitical player. Through concrete illustrations including defense cooperation, the Sahel, and the China de-risking debate, the article shows how this fragmentation creates policy friction and openings for external actors to exploit European divisions.