Relationship dossier
France
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Relationship assessment
Close European partners with sustained cooperation on EU policy, defence, and security.
France toward Kingdom of the Netherlands
+65France cooperates with the Netherlands through sustained coordination in the European Union and NATO, including on European policy and security. France also participates in bilateral engagement with the Dutch government on shared economic and strategic concerns.
Kingdom of the Netherlands toward France
+65The Netherlands coordinates with France through sustained cooperation in the European Union and NATO, including on European policy and security. The Dutch government also engages France bilaterally on shared economic and strategic concerns.
Overall relationship
+65The relationship is characterized by sustained European integration and security cooperation, reinforced by regular bilateral engagement. Occasional differences over EU policies and national priorities are features of a close partnership rather than a dominant pattern of confrontation.
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
France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands maintain a close partnership grounded in sustained cooperation within the European Union and NATO, as well as extensive bilateral engagement. The two governments coordinate on European policy, security, and economic matters. Differences can arise over particular EU policies and national priorities, but these have not displaced the broader pattern of cooperation.
Key developments
France and the Netherlands have participated in NATO together since the alliance's founding, providing a durable framework for security cooperation.
Both countries have worked together as members of the European Union on common policies and institutional decisions.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of specific bilateral defence and economic initiatives may change over time.
- The extent of policy differences on individual European Union issues varies by government and issue.