BelArg is spot on. France never left NATO: from 1/7/66 she stopped participating in
ACE/AFCENT and other fora...but stayed at Council level, retaining Ops compatibility if not integration.
CDG held one Nation intact despite internal stress: "apres moi le deluge". France's elite, 1930s-90s, was informed by 1936 near-descent into Spanish-style Left/ Right Civil War. That,
BelAir, not US "pressure" (who has ever pressed a Frenchman?), was the reason
CDG quit Algeria: risk of revival of that schism (plus the cost, in treasure and conscript flesh). He did not object to getting up the odd
Anglo nose ("defense a tous azimuts"), but during Cuba, 10/62: 'he did not think we would have war but if Soviets forced US in such places as Berlin, France would be with US "France will act in accord with you."'
Avalon Project - Cuban Missle Crisis - Telegram From the Embassy in France to the Department of State.
HQ2,
why come in from the cold now? Cost. France has decided that its interests continue to require Power Projection, such as in Africa, and that new, Out-of-Area NATO offers an affordable, coalition-centric means of doing that. So, no PA2
CVF: Task-share with the willing.