France is one of the few European countries that truly understood sovereignty. It built its own nuclear deterrent, with around 290 nuclear w…

France is one of the few European countries that truly understood sovereignty. It built its own nuclear deterrent, with around 290 nuclear warheads and full sovereign control over their use. It remains the EU’s only nuclear-armed state after Brexit. It built one of Europe’s strongest non-dependent energy systems: in 2025, nuclear power generated around 68% of France’s electricity. It maintained serious military capabilities: nuclear submarines, long-range missiles, an aircraft carrier, expeditionary forces, a large defence industry and independent strategic doctrine. It preserved a powerful financial system, with Paris becoming the EU’s largest financial centre after Brexit in several areas, from banking to asset management and capital markets. And unlike much of Europe, France does not host permanent American military bases on its territory. France has many problems. But on sovereignty, it understood something most of Europe forgot: A serious state must control its own energy, defence, finance and strategic decisions.

Source: Yann LeCun (X) | 2026-05-20