Leading from Behind Just Means You Fall Behind

France thought that by yoking themselves to German economic power, France could leverage their own power by pulling the strings of the continent's powerhouse that was hobbled by their Nazi legacy. That's not working out.

France is losing influence in the European Union:

France has lost a great deal of its influence in the European Union and must work hard to get it back or risk being eclipsed further in Brussels, two French MPs warned in a bipartisan parliamentary report.

In their soon-to-be-published 116-page study, based on dozens of interviews with Eurocrats and elected officials, the authors cited several warning signs, including that Paris had fallen behind in terms of staffing top positions and that the use of French was on the wane in EU institutions.

What will France do to defy the logic of GDP disparity? Restart World War II war crimes trials?

If France wants more power within Europe, perhaps France should go to the old school measure of power--military capability.

German military power is virtually non-existent these days. So for the sake of French influence in Europe--and for the glory of France, of course--France should take responsibility for the Libya Front in the war on ISIL.