PARIS: President Emmanuel Macron is on Sunday to set new French defence targets in the face of a menacing Russia and a potential United States disengagement from Europe, his office said.
“Defence efforts” must be made in the face of mounting threats and a disintegrating world order, Elysee officials said ahead of the president’s 7:00 pm (1700 GMT) speech to the armed forces, traditionally held on the eve of France’s national Bastille Day holiday.
Despite France’s difficult budgetary situation, the president’s announcements will be “major”, they said.
French military and security officials have been warning of global threats weighing on France, with Defence Chief of Staff Chief Thierry Burkhard saying on Friday that Russia posed a “durable” threat to Europe and that the “rank of European countries in tomorrow’s world” was being decided in Ukraine, invaded by Russia in 2022.
Russia currently views France as its “main adversary in Europe”, Burkhard said.
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He also warned of the consequences of a diminished US commitment to Europe, along with cyber threats, disinformation campaigns and the risk of terror attacks.
“We have to take account of the fact that there has been a change in strategic parameters,” he said.
On Sunday, Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu weighed in, telling the La Tribune weekly newspaper that “it’s our job to provide answers”.
France needed to make “a new effort” if it wanted to “depend on nobody” in the future, the minister said.
France’s defence budget has already increased sharply since Macron took power, rising from 32.2 billion euros ($37.6 billion at current rates) in 2017 to 50.5 billion currently, and is projected to reach 67 billion euros in 2030.
‘Sacrosanct’ defence budget
Any major defence spending boost could, however, threaten French efforts to cut deficits and reduce its debt mountain, amid pressure from the EU Commission on Paris to impose more fiscal discipline.
The servicing of France’s debt alone will cost the Treasury 62 billion euros this year.
But Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, who on Tuesday is to outline his budget plan for 2026, has declared the defence budget to be “sacrosanct” and exempt from budgetary cuts.
Several NATO countries are boosting their military spending, after the alliance’s members agreed last month to spend five percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on security.
Britain aims to increase its defence budget to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027, and to 3.0 percent after 2029. Germany plans to reach a defence budget of 162 billion euros by 2029, equivalent to 3.5 percent of its GDP, while Poland already dedicates 4.7 percent of GDP to defence.
“Very clearly, we need to revise our programming and strategy today, in light of the changing nature of risks,” Macron said on Thursday.
Lecornu this month detailed the most urgent needs for the French armed forces, including ground-to-air defences, ammunition, electronic warfare and space capabilities.
In Sunday’s interview, he said France was mostly worried about falling behind in “disruptive technologies” including artificial intelligence and quantum technology.
Beyond budget increases, the French government is also seeking to boost “national cohesion” in the face of global crises.
Macron is expected to outline a potential mobilisation drive for young people who should be given “an opportunity to serve”, Elysee officials said.
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