Introduction

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of French sovereignty using the methodology of the Burke Institute. Sovereignty is assessed in 7 areas: political, economic, technological, informational, cultural, cognitive and military.

Each aspect is assessed on the basis of official data from international and national sources (UN, World Bank, UNESCO, IMF, ITU, FAO, SIPRI, PISA, etc.) without using politicized indexes. The maximum score in each direction is 100; the sum (up to 700) is the accumulated Sovereignty Index (Burke Index).

To adapt and adjust statistical parameters, an international expert survey was conducted for each of the seven components using a single questionnaire of 10 questions with a 10-point scale and one open-ended question. In total, at least 100 experts from 50+ countries were interviewed for each indicator, taking into account geographical representation and specialization.

When calculating and analyzing the data, equalizing coefficients were used, bringing all data to a scale of 0-10 points. The final index value is the arithmetic mean between statistical data and expert estimates.

Below is an analysis in each area, a summary table and the main conclusions about the peculiarities of French sovereignty.

Political sovereignty — 73.2

There are no permanent foreign military bases in France. The exception is international cooperation on NATO facilities, where foreign military exercises take place, but the bases are strictly French.

All permanent bases, including American ones, were closed back in the 20th century; now French bases abroad (Africa) are being phased out.

France is a member of the EU, the European Convention on Human Rights, the United Nations and a number of international organizations. The French legal doctrine is “monistic”: international treaties take precedence over national law (Article 55 of the Constitution), but the domestic court retains the right to refuse under “constitutional protection.” EU regulations and decisions of other international courts often have a direct impact on French law and judicial practice.

In 2024-2025, France is experiencing a difficult political crisis — a vote of no confidence in the government, a change of prime minister, a deep split in parliament and a decrease in support for President Macron (demands for resignation from the far-right and far-left). The coalition majority has been lost, and the country is governed by an interim cabinet.

According to the Management Efficiency Index (WGI), France is at 83-85 percentile (World Bank), which meets high European standards. France is in the “very high level” group according to EGDI; the UN index is 0.89 (2024, top 30 in the world), most government services are available online.

Trust in the national leader is extremely variable: as of 2024-2025, Macron's support does not exceed 24-28%; fragmentation of the electorate, the growing influence of radical parties (Le Pen — 31% in the Euro elections, the opposition demands resignation). France is a key member of the EU, NATO, the Council of Europe, the United Nations, a founding member of the Eurozone and many agencies; sovereignty in the economy, legislation and defense is significantly delegated to supranational unions. The country is integrated into the system of the European Court of Justice, the ECHR, the International Criminal Court, International Arbitration and many EU legal procedures.

France is a unitary centralized state with a developed system of regional and municipal self—government (regions, departments, communes). The main decisions are made by the national government, but the regions have broad powers in the budget and administration.

Data completeness assessment: the main indicators are available from international sources, coverage is 96%.

Economic sovereignty— 69,8

54 465-61 322 USD — GDP per capita, taking into account purchasing power parity (estimates by the World Bank and Trading Economics); in some international ratings — up to $ 65,940 (differences are related to methodology). ~303 billion euros according to official reserves and 240.8–282.9 billion USD according to international agencies at the end of 2024 (including gold, currency, and IMF assets).

113.0–113.7% of GDP — the level of public debt (in absolute terms — 3.3 trillion euros); debt has been exceeding 100% of GDP for several years and continues to grow. France is one of the largest exporters of agricultural products in the world, fully provides itself with food and remains a breadbasket The European Union.

The food security index is the maximum. France is a unique EU leader in terms of the share of electricity produced from domestic sources: over 65% of electricity is provided by nuclear power (more than 50 reactors), the rest is closed by hydroelectric power plants, renewable energy sources and thermal power plants.

Oil and gas are imported, but the electric power industry is completely independent. France has few resources in hydrocarbons, and actively produces uranium (for nuclear power plants), rock ores, zinc, and bauxite. A unique strategic resource is a well—developed network of nuclear power plants.

France has large reserves of fresh water (12th place in the world, ~175 billion m3 per year); water supply is completely autonomous, regional deficits are covered by infrastructure. All settlements and electronic services are under the control of the national Central Bank and EU regulators. Payment institutions (GIE Cartes Bancaires, Paylib) are national, but they operate in the common area of the Eurozone. 99% of domestic transactions are conducted in euros (EUR); France is one of the euro—issuing countries, and a significant part of EU exports and imports are carried out in euros.

The euro issue and monetary policy are implemented by the European Central Bank. The Central Bank of France participates in the Eurosystem, provides supervision, payments, cash circulation, and control over all licensed financial institutions in the country.

Data completeness assessment: the main macroeconomic indicators are available from official sources (World Bank, IMF), coverage is 94%.

Technological sovereignty — 74.1

2.22% of GDP is the forecast and the latest relevant data on the level of French spending on research and development (stability is expected at this level until 2028).

Import substitution is partially developed: France actively promotes national startups (French Tech program, Next40) and deeptech companies, stimulates the development of AI, fintech, biotech; but a large Some of the semiconductors, industrial electronics, key IT infrastructure, and cloud technologies are still imported.

Approximately 50% of young people (25-34 years old) they have higher education (bachelor's degree and higher; according to data from Eurostat and national agencies). The adult Internet penetration rate is 93-95% (2024), and the availability of fiber and mobile networks is very high. There are internal public service systems (FranceConnect, Service-Public.fr, Ameli, Impots.gouv.fr), national fin-techs (Paylib, Carte Bancaires), distance education and digital healthcare platforms are all French-speaking and integrated into the EU, but some layers remain based on foreign open-source solutions.

Significant in software (USA), chips, industrial IT services, and microelectronics: for example, most of the chips and servers for clouds are imported from abroad; processor production is concentrated in several enterprises and depends on global supply chains.

France is one of the most digital countries in the world (EGDI 0.89), the vast majority of services for the public and businesses are completely online, there is electronic identification and remote interaction with authorities.

Our own BIOTECH ecosystem is strong (Sanofi, Pasteur, Ipsen and industrial parks), a block of deeptech startups is developing (23% of French next startups according to Tech120); however, expensive medical technologies and some pharmaceutical raw materials are mainly imported.

Great progress has been made in the implementation of domestic industrial robots (Staubli, Parrot, Exotec), developments for medicine, weapons, agriculture; the share of imported platforms remains high, but proprietary engineering is present in key sectors.

France has production facilities (STMicroelectronics, Soitec), part of the CEA-Leti research center, but there is no 100% technological independence: the production of mass chips is based on equipment and licenses from the USA, Taiwan and the EU, while server and advanced processors are supplied from outside.

Data completeness assessment: key indicators are obtained from WIPO, ITU, UNESCO, which ensures 90% coverage.

Information sovereignty — 79.3

In France, there is a national CERT-FR under the control of the national agency ANSSI. In the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index, France ranks in the group of leaders (TOP-10), corresponds to the “very high commitment” level; the country was the first in the EU to issue certifications under the new European EUCC (Common Criteria) scheme. In 2025, there are 24 active Internet traffic exchange points (IXPs): the largest are France-IX (Paris, Marseille, Lille, Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux), Equinix, SFINX. It is one of the largest and most modern exchange clusters in Europe, which ensures high stability, throughput and digital sovereignty.

Almost the entire media market operates in French: the presenters are Le Monde, Le Figaro, France 24, 20 Minutes, L'Express, RFI radio, France Television and TF1. The country has a law on a mandatory quota of French-language content on the air.

Although the market for services and clouds is saturated with global corporations (Google, Amazon, Microsoft), France is actively promoting data localization requirements and developing its platforms and services.

ANSSI is working on cyber resilience, and European cloud and electronic identification certification is in effect. About 70% of TV content, 60% of radio broadcasting and more than half of web media are locally produced in France (news, series, culture, cinema, music); the rest is international exchange and licensed projects. National solutions include OS OSES, public services (FranceConnect, Paylib), platforms for education and healthcare.

Numerous startups and large IT firms (Dassault Systèmes, OVHcloud, Critéo, Exotec). However, the share of the global open-source and English-speaking ecosystem in critical software is still large. Online access to public services, healthcare, education, taxes, etc. covers over 95% of the population; all major citizen appeals are implemented online (EGDI TOP-30). OVHcloud, Scaleway, Outscale, and university centers operate on the market. The share of national clouds is about 20-25% (in terms of capacity and turnover); the rest is shared by global operators.

All operators (Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom, Free) are registered and licensed in France; key infrastructure is localized, but some equipment is imported, and some services are based on global technological standards. The main regulation is the EU GDPR.

Supervision is carried out by the CNIL (National Commission on Informatics and Freedoms), strict requirements apply to the storage and processing of any personal data, including “hard localization” for a number of social and legal services, certification according to EU standards.

Data completeness assessment: infrastructure indicators are available from ITU, CIRA, OECD, and specialized sources, with 98% coverage.

Cultural sovereignty — 94.8

There are 54 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in France: 45 are cultural, 7 are natural, and 2 are mixed (a new site was added in 2025).whc.unesco+3 2.

Total contribution to world culture France gave the world literature (Rabelais, Moliere, Hugo, Proust, Camus), impressionism and Rococo (Manet, Degas, Monet, Renoir), cinema (the Lumiere brothers), music (Debussy, Bizet, Charles Aznavour). France's central role is in shaping styles and movements, creating linguistic and artistic standards, and the global influence of fashion, cooking, and philosophy.bonjour-fr+2 3.

National Awards in Art and culture The main ones are the Cesar National Film Award, the Academies of Arts awards (Goncourt Prize, Prix de Rome for Architecture, Prix Femina, Prix Médicis, Grand Prix du Roman, etc. in all fields of art), state awards and grants from the Ministry of Culture.

Strong linguistic and cultural identity: official French, support for dialects (French Academy, 2008 Constitutional Amendment), state protection of cultural codes and holidays, folklore and local traditions. France supports regional languages (Breton, Corsican, Occitan, Basque, etc.), finances schools, cultural centers, the media, and the activities of diasporas, and universally recognizes their rights and development.

Tens of thousands of historical monuments, more than 1,200 national and municipal museums, the largest art collections, architectural monuments, theaters, palaces, many public libraries, hundreds of officially protected ensembles (Moscow, Louvre, Versailles, Sainte-Chapelle, Mont Saint-Michel). Leader of cultural diplomacy: programs of the French Institute, the Alliance Française representative office in the world, large-scale UNESCO projects, the largest export of French cinema, music, literature, architecture.

Many cultural brands (chanson, haute couture, French wines and cheeses, culinary school), geographical statuses, French gastronomic and intellectual traditions are protected legally and through certification systems.

France is the world's trendsetter of gastronomy, recognized by UNESCO as an intangible heritage: its own cuisine-terroirs (Provencal, Alsatian, etc.), confectionery, wines, cheeses, the tradition of restaurants and cafes. More than 70% of citizens annually participate in cultural events, visit museums, theaters, concerts, cinemas; coverage of concerts and exhibitions is one of the highest in the world.

Data completeness assessment: basic indicators are available in UNESCO and national statistics, coverage is 95%.

Cognitive sovereignty — 83.9

The human development index of 0.920 is a very high level (UNDP 2023-2024); France ranks 26-28 in the world. According to the World Bank and UNESCO, government spending on education is 5.5% of GDP (in recent years it has been stable at 5.3–5.6% of GDP).

According to official statistics, literacy exceeds 99%, but in practice 4% of adults (18-64 years old) are functionally illiterate, and another 10% have significant difficulties with writing or arithmetic (INSEE/ANLCI data, 2024). PISA-2022: French teenagers are ranked 26th in the world in mathematics (474 points), 23rd in reading (477), and 19th in science (487) (all just below the OECD average).

Among all bachelor's and master's degree graduates, approximately 32% are in STEM disciplines (engineering, science, mathematics, computer science). About 24% of master's degree programs and 13% of bachelor's degree programs have international accreditation, co—teaching or integration with Erasmus+, mainly in English.

Government support for more than 10 regional languages (Breton, Corsican, Occitan, Basque, etc.), a network of schools, mass media, annual cultural programs for minorities, diasporas and migrant unions are also supported. There are more than 100 state and academic institutions in France, including the largest CERN, CNRS, INSERM, CEA, university centers in Paris, Lyon, Grenoble, Marseille, etc.

The share of national platforms and programs (for example, France Université Numérique, FUN-MOOC, CNED, Parcoursup) in online education is about 40% of the market, the rest is international (Coursera, edX, Udemy).

France allocates billions of euros annually for scholarships, grants, research programs, Olympiads and support for young scientists (Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur, ANR); coverage is tens of thousands of students and researchers per year. Assessment of the completeness of the data: education indicators are available in the UNDP, UNESCO, OECD, coverage is 91%.

Military sovereignty — 81.4

In 2024, France's defense budget is 2.06% of GDP (~59.6 billion euros). Total strength (at the end of 2023 – beginning of 2024): about 269,200 people (regular forces), in total with the gendarmerie — 368,000 - 426,000; on a contractual basis.

France is equipped with fully modern armed forces: Leclerc main battle tanks (the upgraded Leclerc XLR will enter service in 2023-2024), Griffon, Jaguar, Serval armored combat vehicles, Caesar high—tech howitzers, new Tiger attack helicopters, Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier fleet, Suffren submarines; Rafale F4 fighter, modern missile defense systems (SAMP/T, VL MICA), including space surveillance. France is one of the most independent countries in the EU: more than 70% of military equipment is domestically produced (Nexter, Dassault, Thales, MBDA, Safran, etc.).

Only certain items are imported (for example, NH90 hangar helicopters, individual electronics). The control is completely under national control. jurisdiction (army, police, national gendarmerie, coast guard), border surveillance systems are used, integration with Schengen and Frontex systems.

The total reserve is 63,700 people (data for 2023), active development of the territorial reserve, mobilization and civilian contingent. France is one of the leaders of NATO, all key decisions are made at the national level, but taking into account allied commitments (EU, NATO, UN); supports rapid reaction forces, participates in joint headquarters.

The French military industrial complex is one of the largest in the world, includes Nexter, Dassault, MBDA, Thales, Safran, etc.; a full cycle of weapons — from tanks and armored personnel carriers to military aircraft, missile defense, missiles and drones, exports to more than 60 countries. France has 290 nuclear warheads, strategic (M51) and tactical systems, underwater and aviation components — officially recognized nuclear status (NPT).

France has an extensive orbital surveillance group (CSO, Helios, CERES), its own military satellite and radar program, is developing a space missile defense system equipped with military intelligence (DGSE, DRM), and close integration with EU and NATO information exchange agencies.

All parameters are reflected in the annual reports of SIPRI, UNODA, the French Ministry of Defense, the official portals of state—owned companies (Embraer, IMBEL) and industry databases of UN/NGO - 98% coverage.

Final Summary Table

The main conclusions

The strengths of GDP per capita are $54-61 thousand in PPP terms, powerful gold and foreign exchange reserves (up to $282 billion), the largest agricultural export in the EU, complete food and water independence, a developed banking and financial system, independent payment and emission infrastructure.

Political and legal sovereignty: One of the largest centers of legal and political autonomy in Europe, France has no foreign military bases, the state model is "monistic" — international treaties are integrated into national law, a wide range of parliamentary and civil control.

Education, science and innovation: HDI — 0.92 (very high), 5.5% of GDP for education, 99% of literacy; spending on R&D — 2.2% of GDP, the largest network of government research centers (CNRS, INSERM, CEA, etc.), active national talent support programs, strong positions in PISA and STEM- disciplines.

Technological and digital independence: Software and digital platforms with high national coverage, its own cloud infrastructure (OVHcloud), 24 Internet traffic exchange points (IXP), the largest national IT companies and startups, the EGDI leader (0.89). Cultural capital: 54 UNESCO sites, maximum contribution to world art, literary and artistic awards, vibrant culinary culture, large share of local content, high public involvement in culture.

Military-strategic autonomy: 2.06% of GDP for defense, its own military industry (Nexter, Dassault), modern weapons, a large reserve, one of the two EU nuclear arsenals (290 warheads), an orbital grouping of military space, full autonomy of intelligence.

Government debt weaknesses: High — 113% of GDP, constantly growing, which reduces macro-financial flexibility.

Import dependence in certain high-tech niches: Critical components of chips, part of cloud infrastructures, software (especially server and cloud) are imported via global chains, there is no complete independence from the USA and Asia. Political turbulence: 2024-2025 — political crisis, fragmentation of elites, falling support for the president, instability of the coalition parliament.

Literacy and educational objectives: About 10-14% of the adult population have difficulties with basic skills, and the program to combat functional illiteracy needs to be strengthened. The share of foreign educational programs: Integration with global programs increases competitiveness, but weakens the isolation of the national system.

Limited localization of high-tech: despite the developed industry, the mass production of processors, servers, and advanced electronics is partially external; weak robotic autonomy compared to the USA/Asia. Overall, the cumulative French sovereignty Index is 556.5 out of 700 possible points (above the average of 79.5%), which places the country in the top 50 in the world.

France is a country with powerful sovereignty, a high—tech economy, advanced scientific and defense sectors, extremely high cultural capital and a successful state infrastructure. The main vulnerabilities are government debt, individual nodes of import dependence, educational challenges, and temporary political instability.

The sovereignty profile indicates that France has the highest sovereignty among European countries: in almost all "tough" areas (politics, army, science, culture, finance, infrastructure, education, technology) it is independent of external pressure.

Vulnerability is manifested primarily in the high debt burden and borrowing of key components in certain high-tech and digital specializations.