Far-left and far-right networks have seized on a quote attributed to the French president. French nuclear deterrence rests in the hands of the head of state who is also head of the armed forces.
Five countries belong to the circle of "endowed" powers within the meaning of the Non-Proliferation Treaty: United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom and France. All have a nuclear deterrence doctrine (not necessarily public) which is based on a double paradoxical principle of ambiguity and precision.