From Climate Leader to Green Pragmatist? France’s Strategic Adjustments in EU Climate Policy After 2023

France has long been seen as a leader in ambitious climate policy in the European Union, promoting a comprehensive energy transition framework and legal regulations conducive to decarbonization. The country actively supported the implementation of the “Fit for 55” package, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, and initiated and supported the CSRD and CSDDD directives, which introduce mandatory non-financial disclosure requirements for companies and regulate sustainable practices in business. However, since 2023, France has been gradually modifying its approach, shifting the emphasis from moral climate leadership to a more pragmatic strategy that takes into account the protection of the competitiveness of domestic industry, energy security, and the maintenance of social stability. This change is the result of several overlapping factors: global competitive pressure from the United States and China, which often offer more favorable investment conditions to domestic companies; growing socio-economic tensions within France; lobbying by the energy industry, which is seeking to maintain existing production structures and investments in fossil fuels; and the changing political climate in the European Union, including the rise of Eurosceptic and conservative forces that are putting pressure on national positions in EU negotiations. The aim of this paper is to assess France's role as a regulatory actor in the EU in the field of climate policy, with a particular focus on balancing climate ambitions with material national interests. The study uses the theoretical frameworks of realism and constructivism. The analysis also takes into account European factors, including the changing political climate in the EU and the growing role of Eurosceptic forces influencing national positions in EU negotiations and the shaping of climate regulations. The study uses discourse analysis, covering speeches by the president and ministers, government communications, and official strategic documents, as well as analysis of EU documents and think-tank reports, which allows us to capture the relationship between France's declared strategic goals and its actual regulatory actions.