Relationship dossier
Austria
France
Relationship assessment
Bilateral policy dialogue alongside disagreement over nuclear energy in EU policy
Austria toward France
+20Austria took part in high-level bilateral talks with France in Salzburg in 2018 on European and security policy. Austria has also opposed the EU classification of nuclear energy as sustainable, a position at odds with France's support for nuclear power.
France toward Austria
+20France took part in high-level bilateral talks with Austria in Salzburg in 2018 on European and security policy. France has supported the EU classification of nuclear energy as sustainable, in contrast with Austria's opposition.
Overall relationship
+20The relationship includes direct high-level policy dialogue and recurring engagement on European affairs, but also a concrete policy divide over nuclear energy in the EU. These features support a cooperative yet not closely integrated bilateral relationship.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Austria and France have engaged in high-level bilateral consultations on European and security policy, including talks in Salzburg in 2018. Their governments also differ over nuclear energy in EU policy: France supports nuclear power, while Austria has opposed its inclusion in the EU sustainable-finance taxonomy. The relationship combines practical dialogue with specific policy disagreement.
Areas of tension
- Austria's opposition to the EU sustainable-finance classification of nuclear energy conflicts with France's support for nuclear power.
Key developments
Austrian and French leaders held talks in Salzburg on European and security policy.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and follow-through of bilateral cooperation initiatives are unclear.
- The extent to which nuclear-energy disagreements affect broader bilateral cooperation is uncertain.