I become personal union overlord of stronger country - what to do?

Question

I play Portugal and suddenly France got under my rule in personal union (I did not intended so).

I don't like it at all because:

• They are 180% stronger and have liberty desire 100%, I need to pay much money to support loyalist to keep them at 90% liberty desire.
• I really worry they will start independence war, where they will massacre me completely (as badly as we massacred Castile in war for Aragons independence).
• I cannot hope to diplo-anex them (too long time required)
• Before PU France was very useful ally always helping me in wars (vs. Castile and Aragon), but now they just sit and watch my armies dying despite they have 3x 30k stack right in the next province.

Questions:

• I would perhaps prefer to release them, so they would become my ally again. How to do it?
• Is there a way how to make them useful to me? (e.g. actively participate in my wars?) I'm trade/colony nation - I have quite lot of money, but little manpower.

Answer 1

Getting rid of the PU

There are several ways and you should get rid of the PU asap as the Frances strength will also fuel liberty desire in your colonies:

• Incorporation of the junior partner into the senior partner, by integration or inheritance

  • Not possible, due to France being much stronger than you.
  • Improving your power would be necessary. You could build a large mercernary army.

• The junior partner declaring independence and winning the war

  • This is a good plan, but will likely tank your opinion with France too much. But, it's the most reliable way. Simply imemdiately surrender, when France declares a war of independence.

• Declare any war and surrender with release France.

  • This is also a good option and gives you more imemdiate control. However, it may be, that the opponent has no interest in accepting your release france concession

• The ruler dying while the junior partner has a negative opinion of the overlord

  • Very hard to do and no chance of alliance.

• Pretender rebels enforcing their demands in the junior partner

  • Very good way to get rid of the PU, likely won't even damage your territory.

• Rebels enforcing demands that change government type

  • Not a good idea, if you like your government

• Peacefully abandoning a PU with a lesser partner

  • If anybody can expand on that, please do, I found it on wiki, but I'm not familiar with that option.

So, my recommendation owuld be to simply wait for the independence war and surrender it or declare war on anybody supporting France independence and surrender to them while releasing France. In any case, after oyu release France, you will have a truce and won't be able to ally them during that truce.

Getting France to help

Not possible beyond deliberately luring enemy armies into french stacks. When a subject has over 50% liberty desire, they stop helping their overlord.