France has remained an international leader since the Thirty Years War. It was the first country dedicated to "liberty, equality, and fraternity" during the French Revolution, and today it remains a leader as an influential and powerful member of the European Union and the United Nations. The international plane since the end of the Cold War, however, has turned into a United States hegemony. In order to combat this Unitarianism, France has sought economic and political integration with Europe, forming the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951, which developed into the modern European Union. France is adjusting to its role as a member of the European Union, struggling to reconcile its strong identity with increasing globalization.
France is in the transition from a socialist economy to one that relies more on the competitive market. …
