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French Ambassador: EU Working Toward ‘Common Action’ With Biden on Iran, COVID-19

But Philippe Etienne says France won’t surrender its dream of “strategic autonomy.”

hirsh-michael-foreign-policy-columnist
hirsh-michael-foreign-policy-columnist
Michael Hirsh
By , a columnist for Foreign Policy.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the European Union headquarters in Brussels on Feb. 6, 2015.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the European Union headquarters in Brussels on Feb. 6, 2015.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the European Union headquarters in Brussels on Feb. 6, 2015. EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images

Prior to becoming France’s ambassador to the United States in September 2019, Philippe Etienne had a distinguished career working at the most senior levels of the French government, most recently as diplomatic advisor to President Emmanuel Macron and as ambassador to Germany. He is widely considered an expert on the European Union and EU political affairs. On Monday, Etienne spoke with Foreign Policy about the degree to which trans-Atlantic relations can be repaired with the new Biden administration after the disruptions of the Trump administration. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Michael Hirsh is a columnist for Foreign Policy. He is the author of two books: Capital Offense: How Washington’s Wise Men Turned America’s Future Over to Wall Street and At War With Ourselves: Why America Is Squandering Its Chance to Build a Better World. Twitter: @michaelphirsh

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