French National Assembly backs president 's plan to rejoin NATO . President Nicolas Sarkozy 's plan is politically sensitive . Socialist Laurent Fabius , a former prime minister , told Prime Minister Francois Fillon : ` France was a founding member of NATO but left in 1966 . The move would be seen as an attempt by the West to reassert its influence over former Soviet states, which are now members of the European Union and NATO.
French National Assembly backs president 's plan to rejoin NATO . President Nicolas Sarkozy 's plan is politically sensitive . France was a founding member of NATO but left in 1966 . The move would be seen as an attempt by the West to reassert its influence over former Soviet states, which are now members of the European Union and NATO.