The Economization of Diplomatic Services and Scientific Diplomacy in Developed Countries: French Experience

The article focuses on the trend towards economization of the ministries of foreign affairs in many developed countries, using the case of the French diplomatic service. It deals with the MFA’s increasing role in foreign economic policy, on the one hand, and the share of economic agenda in diplomats’ work, on the other. In order to achieve these goals, the author provides an analysis of functioning of the French national system of economic diplomacy, which since 2012 has undergone a process of restructuring, aimed at enhancing the role of the ministry of foreign affairs in regulating of foreign economic activities. In fact, this reform constituted the government’s reaction to the financial and economic crisis of the Eurozone in 2011–2012. The article examines the key dimensions of the current reform: activation of the “French teams”; personal involvement of the Minister of foreign affairs into economic diplomacy issues; promoting French high technologies and innovations on the world markets; diversification of foreign investment inflows in favor of developing countries; support of the foreign economic activity of small and medium-sized enterprises; introduction of a facilitated visa regime for businessmen from countries considered strategic partners. The article casts light upon the recent structural transformations in the economic diplomacy service, especially, on the establishment of the Directorate for French companies and the world economy at the MFA, introduction  of  the  new positions dealing with foreign economic activities, as well as organizations of events aimed at promoting economic ties. It also contains preliminary results of the reforms depicted by the dynamics of FDI flows, number and price of contracts between French companies and foreign investors, job growth on joint enterprises, number of French business units penetrating foreign markets. The author outlines the trend of the MFA playing a dominant role in the elaboration of the general foreign economic strategy alongside tactical policy-making. On the example of such an important field as scientific diplomacy, the author  illustrates  that  the  reform’s  approaches  are also  being  implemented  in  specific  functional diplomacy tracks. However, taking into account the ongoing reformation process, evaluating its overall results may be considered somewhat untimely.

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