François Hollande on War

During his presidency, François Hollande firmly declared that the terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015 constituted an act of war against France, warranting a cool and determined national and international response. He asserted that France was engaged in a war against jihadist terrorism, represented by groups like Daesh, rather than a war of civilizations, emphasizing the need for patience, endurance, and fierceness in the fight. His response involved immediately increasing military operations, including ordering French fighter jets to launch airstrikes on Daesh strongholds in Raqqa and planning to triple strike capacity with the deployment of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.

As a former head of state, Hollande has continued to comment on ongoing conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, where he supported the European Union’s opposition to the invasion, noting that leaders like Vladimir Putin are not frightened of war. He demonstrated a commitment to international law and coalition action, exemplified by his participation in joint anti-terrorist efforts with Russia against ISIS, focusing on intelligence sharing and coordinating strikes away from non-terrorist groups. Furthermore, he oversaw military interventions in Mali and the Central African Republic with UN Security Council approval to combat terrorism and stabilize the regions.