France’s final nuclear tests in the South Pacific, 30 years on

France’s final nuclear tests in the South Pacific, 30 years on

Former French President Jacques Chirac encounters a protest from members during an official visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg in July 1995. (European Parliament)In recent months, the viability of France’s nuclear arsenal has been making headlines with talk of a French “nuclear umbrella” that might shield its allies on the European continent. In the face of the Russia-Ukraine war, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statements reg…