Why do I need to know bras de fer? It pops up all the time in French media whenever there is some sort of conflict. The expression bras de fer means strong-arming someone, sometimes literally. Today, bras de fer is mostly used in a symbolic manner to show that someone is preparing for a use of force. Bras de fer is a recurrent expression in French media.

Source: The Local November 25, 2019 16:41 UTC