As of: 01/20/2023 4:57 p.m
In response to the Russian war against Ukraine, French President Macron wants to significantly increase military spending. From 2024 to 2030, the army’s budget is to increase to 400 billion euros.
President Emmanuel Macron wants to drastically increase France’s military spending. From 2024 to 2030, a total of 400 billion euros should flow into the defense budget, he proposed in his New Year’s address to the military at the Mont-de-Marsan air base. This should guarantee “our freedom, our security, our prosperity, our place in the world”.
A similar plan for the period 2019 to 2025 envisages spending of around 295 billion euros. The French head of state announced that the budget up to 2025 should serve to rebuild capacities after chronically underinvestment in recent decades.
Macron: Variety of threats
The army must be able to react more quickly and gain strength quickly, Macron clarified. The new budget is a “transformation program” to adapt the military to potential high-intensity conflicts, something that has become even more urgent since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“France has and will have armies ready for the challenges of the century,” Macron said. France must adapt to a new era in which there are a multitude of threats. Some are old wars, others unprecedented, “between sophisticated complexity and brutal simplicity”.
More money for nuclear arsenal
Above all, there should be higher spending on France’s nuclear weapons. “Nuclear deterrence is an element that distinguishes France from other countries in Europe,” Macron explained. “We see again, in the analysis of the war in Ukraine, their great importance.” France is the only EU member that has nuclear weapons.
In order to ensure the defense of Europe and its allies, more military material and increased responsiveness are needed, the President said. He announced increased investments in reconnaissance, defense against cyber attacks and new aircraft carriers and drone systems.
No statement on “Leclerc” tanks
The common European defense policy must be further strengthened, said Macron. In addition to the technical integration of the armed forces and a common strategy, it is about the European ability to jointly lead a large military operation. For France, this means being able to provide up to 20,000 soldiers.
Macron did not comment on Ukraine’s requests to supply the country with French “Leclerc” tanks. But he said lessons could be learned from the war in Ukraine. “The dangers are numerous and intermingled,” Macron said.
Macron needs parliamentary support for the defense budget. His moderate alliance does not have a majority there. But conservative and far-right parties usually vote to invest in the military.