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The editorial of supplement #36, April 2026
In March 2026, nuclear deterrence returns abruptly to the heart of French sovereignty. Faced with resurgent state threats and the collapse of arms control treaties, the atom is no longer just a silent life insurance policy, but the pivot of a Europe seeking protection and the driving force of a defence industry undergoing profound change. This supplement breaks down the four fundamental pillars of this new strategic age.
Our first article looks at the foundation of our independence, analysing the doctrine of non-use and the notion of vital interest, which allow France to prevent war rather than seek to win it. We then dive into the business of the atom, a strategic sector with a budget of €6 billion a year, which acts as a catalyst for technological innovation across national industry as a whole.
Current events are marked by the turning point of 2026, when the offer of forward deterrence put forward by Emmanuel Macron sketches out a new French umbrella to protect the European continent in the face of uncertainty over the American guarantor.
Finally, we explore the limits of game theory in the face of the unpredictability and irrationality of new world leaders, a human factor that is upsetting the traditional balance of terror. This supplement is an invitation to understand the forces that, every second, make war unthinkable on our soil.
