The essay aims to focus on the French «Defense and National Security Council» (CDSN) is a collegial body, chaired every week by the President of the Republic, to coordinate the national defense and security policy and in the past, in a different form, competent in matters of defense and military strategy. During the pandemic emergency of 2020, the Council was transformed by the President into the place where the main operational decisions were adopted with methods similar to those adopted in the military sphere which, as they lack transparency and publicity, turned out to be totally different from those normally expected for the Council of Ministers. This essay, after investigating the evolution experienced by the CDSN within the French institutional system, focuses on its progressive transformation into a tool available to the Head of State to manage any type of crisis brought to the attention of the executive and how its presence favors the concentration of power in the President of the Republic.
Il saggio si propone di focalizzare l'attenzione sul Consiglio di Difesa e Sicurezza Nazionale (CDSN) francese, organo collegiale presieduto settimanalmente dal Presidente della Repubblica per coordinare la politica di difesa e sicurezza nazionale e in passato, in forma diversa, competente in materia di difesa e strategia militare. Durante l'emergenza pandemica del 2020, il Consiglio è stato trasformato dal Presidente nella sede in cui venivano adottate le principali decisioni operative con modalità simili a quelle adottate in ambito militare che, per mancanza di trasparenza e pubblicità, si sono rivelate totalmente diverse da quelle normalmente previste per il Consiglio dei Ministri. Questo saggio, dopo aver indagato l'evoluzione vissuta dal CDSN all'interno del sistema istituzionale francese, si concentra sulla sua progressiva trasformazione in uno strumento a disposizione del Capo dello Stato per gestire qualsiasi tipo di crisi portata all'attenzione dell'esecutivo e su come la sua presenza favorisca la concentrazione del potere nelle mani del Presidente della Repubblica.
French “Defence and National Security Council” and Fifth Republic president’s role in defence policy
Rino Casella
2025-01-01
Abstract
The essay aims to focus on the French «Defense and National Security Council» (CDSN) is a collegial body, chaired every week by the President of the Republic, to coordinate the national defense and security policy and in the past, in a different form, competent in matters of defense and military strategy. During the pandemic emergency of 2020, the Council was transformed by the President into the place where the main operational decisions were adopted with methods similar to those adopted in the military sphere which, as they lack transparency and publicity, turned out to be totally different from those normally expected for the Council of Ministers. This essay, after investigating the evolution experienced by the CDSN within the French institutional system, focuses on its progressive transformation into a tool available to the Head of State to manage any type of crisis brought to the attention of the executive and how its presence favors the concentration of power in the President of the Republic.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
