Drawing attention to the marked similarities between the French stance in the negotiations leading up to the Franco-British treaty of 1860 and its attitude during the GATT Uruguay Round of the early 1990s, the author investigates the roots of French protectionism in domestic issues. He stresses the weakness of the constitutional system in France that has led to a search for stability in other arenas which in turn has inhibited progress towards freer trade. He identifies a new strand in French thinking on trade which takes a more positive view of multilateralism, and focuses on the importance of establishing a reasoned and reasonable debate in France on trade issues.