French cultural and scientific initiatives are very topical, judging by the number of parliamentary reports and studies, as well as recent announcements by government on their organization and future.

Reports and Opinions on the Foreign Activities of the French Government

During the last decade or so, several parliamentary reports have highlighted the themes of French cultural and scientific influence, from Patrick Bloche, Le désir de France: la présence internationale de la France et la francophonie dans la société de l'information: rapport au Premier ministre (1999) to François Rochebloine and Geneviève Colot, Rapport d'information sur ‘le rayonnement de la France par l'enseignement et la culture’ (2010).

In addition, there have been a number of reports and opinions of non-parliamentary origin on the subject. If we add to this the numerous articles and features published in the press over recent years, we see some measure of the importance of France's cultural and scientific message, as well as the contours of its foreign cultural and scientific policies.

New Public Institutions Contributing to the Foreign Initiatives of France

The law of 27 July 2010 dealing with the foreign activities of the state led to the development of new tools to renew the diplomacy and influence of France; first, from 1 January 2011, is the Institut français, presided over by Xavier Darcos, ambassador for the foreign cultural policies of France, the object of which is to create an integrated body to oversee the network of cultural centres and Institutes abroad.