Macron to raise French defence targets, citing Russia threat
'Defence efforts' must be made in the face of mounting threats and a disintegrating world order, Elysee officials said ahead of the president's 7pm (1am Malaysian time) 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.
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 (RM160.2 billion at current rates) in 2017 to 50.5 billion currently, and is projected to reach €67 billion 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 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 per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on security.
Britain aims to increase its defence budget to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027, and to 3.0 per cent after 2029. Germany plans to reach a defence budget of 162 billion euros by 2029, equivalent to 3.5 per cent of its GDP, while Poland already dedicates 4.7 per cent 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 yesterday'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. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
France's Macron announces plan to accelerate military spending
France's President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech to army leaders, on the eve of the annual Bastille Day Parade in the French capital, at l'Hotel de Brienne in Paris, France July 13, 2025. LUDOVIC MARIN/Pool via REUTERS PARIS (Reuters) -President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday announced a plan to push forward France's defence spending, pledging to double the military budget by 2027 - three years earlier than originally planned - in response to a complex geopolitical moment. France had aimed to double its defence budget from 2017 levels by 2030. However, Macron pledged to reach the target by 2027. A military budget that stood at 32 billion euros ($37.40 billion) in 2017 will rise to 64 billion euros by 2027, with an additional 3.5 billion euros allocated for next year and another 3 billion euros in 2027. He said the accelerated spending, which comes as France is struggling to make 40 billion euros in savings in its 2026 budget, would be paid for by increased economic activity. "Our military independence is inseparable from our financial independence," he said. "This will be financed through more activity and more production." He said Prime Minister Francois Bayrou would provide more details in an address on his plans for the 2026 budget on Tuesday. Bayrou is facing an uphill battle to steer billions of euros worth of savings through a bitterly divided parliament, as France strives to lower its budget deficit to keep EU bean-counters and foreign investors at bay. ($1 = 0.8555 euros) (Reporting by Gabriel Stargardter and Mimosa SpencerEditing by Ros Russell)
Malay Mail
9 hours ago
- Malay Mail
New Gaza-bound aid boat leaves Italy
SYRACUSE, July 13 — A Gaza-bound boat carrying pro-Palestinian activists and humanitarian aid left Sicily today, over a month after Israel detained and deported people aboard a previous vessel. The Handala, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, left the port of Syracuse shortly after 12pm (6pm Malaysian time), an AFP journalist saw, carrying about fifteen activists. Several dozen people, some holding Palestinian flags and others wearing keffiyeh scarves, gathered at the port to cheer the boat's departure with cries of 'Free Palestine'. The former Norwegian trawler—loaded with medical supplies, food, children's equipment and medicine—will sail for about a week in the Mediterranean, covering roughly 1,800 kilometres, in the hope of reaching Gaza's coast. In early March, Israel imposed a total aid blockade on Gaza amid an impasse in truce negotiations, only partially easing restrictions in late May. The boat will make a stop at Gallipoli, in southeastern Italy, where two members of the hard-left France Unbowed party (LFI) are expected to join. The initiative comes six weeks after the departure of the Madleen, another ship that left Italy for Gaza transporting aid and activists, including Greta Thunberg. Israel authorities intercepted the Madleen about 185 kilometres west of Gaza's coast. 'This is a mission for the children in Gaza, to break the humanitarian blockade and to break the summer silence on the genocide,' said Gabrielle Cathala, one of the two France Unbowed party members set to board the boat on July 18. 'I hope we will reach Gaza but if not, it will be yet another violation of international law' by Israel, she added. The war was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that led to 1,219 deaths, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Out of 251 people taken hostage that day, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 that the Israeli military says are dead. Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry says that at least 57,882 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israel's military reprisals. The UN considers the figures reliable. — AFP
The Star
10 hours ago
- The Star
Trump admin increasing scrutiny of Chinese, other foreign farmland ownership in US
US President Donald Trump's administration is expanding scrutiny of Chinese and other foreign ownership of American farmland and starting to cancel agricultural contracts with entities from 'countries of concern' amid apprehension over the national security risks of such foreign involvement. As part of a new seven-part National Farm Security Action Plan, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told reporters on Tuesday that 'swift legislative and executive action' would be taken at 'every level of government' to 'ban the purchase of American farmland by Chinese nationals and other foreign adversaries'. The Agriculture Department will also target research and innovation programmes with foreign countries 'that do not have our best interests in mind'. Rollins said that the department has already cancelled seven active agreements with entities from countries of concern – a designation that includes China, Iran, Russia, North Korea – and will continue to cancel them, along with removing foreign citizens from federal contracts. 'American agriculture is not just about feeding our families, but about protecting our nation and standing up to foreign adversaries who are buying our farmland, stealing our research and creating dangerous vulnerabilities in the very systems that sustain us,' Rollins said, citing China as a 'hostile regime' that sees the American way of life as a 'profound and existential threat'. The Agriculture Department, according to Rollins, is coordinating with the White House; the departments of Treasury, Defence, Homeland Security, and Justice; and state governors, agriculture commissioners, and local, tribal, and territorial governments to carry out the plan. Flanked by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, White House trade counsellor Peter Navarro, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and several Republican governors and lawmakers, Rollins added that she has officially joined the Treasury-led Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States as of Tuesday. CFIUS, as the inter-agency committee is commonly known, is responsible for reviewing transactions involving foreign investment in the US. Tuesday's announcement comes as US-China tensions have cascaded through local and state politics across the US in recent years, sparking alarm about Chinese investment and other involvement in the American agricultural sector. According to the New York-based Committee of 100, a group of prominent Chinese-Americans, 45 bills restricting foreign property ownership, some of them explicitly targeting Chinese citizens, were under consideration in 14 US states as of June 25. Last month, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed legislation to restrict Chinese nationals from buying property in his state. However, the potential trade-offs of banning Chinese purchases of farmland have also been acknowledged at both national and local levels. A Republican-led legal effort to restrict Chinese entities from owning land failed in Arizona last month after a veto by the state's governor, Democrat Katie Hobbs, who argued that the bill would be 'ineffective at counter-espionage' and open the door to arbitrary enforcement. Critics of efforts to limit Chinese land investment argue that they could unfairly subject Chinese-Americans and Asian-Americans to extra scrutiny. They also point to the relatively small amount of US land owned by Chinese entities and argue that there has been little evidence of Beijing's interest in acquiring US farmland. According to a 2023 US Department of Agriculture report, Chinese individuals or businesses own about 277,336 acres (112,234 hectares) of US land – less than 1 per cent of total foreign-held acreage – with none directly registered to the Chinese government. Chinese ownership of land has come into the national spotlight several times in recent years. In 2023, a US$700 million corn mill project in Grand Forks, North Dakota, was scrapped after opposition over its Chinese owner and proximity to a military base. In a similar development that year, agrochemical and seed company Syngenta AG was ordered to divest 160 acres of farmland (65 hectares) in Arkansas within two years. That enforcement action against Syngenta, which was acquired by China National Chemical Corporation, was the first taken under legislation signed by Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders restricting foreign entities from owning agricultural land in the state. Sanders was one of the governors present at Tuesday's event. In her remarks, she emphasised the need for a federal effort to curb land purchases by US 'enemies', noting that while states have led the way, they could not address the issue alone. Tuesday's National Farm Security Action Plan sets up a new portal for reporting foreign farm investments and raises the fine for late and false filings. Rollins also said to expect an executive order on foreign land purchases from the White House 'very soon'. Responding to Rollins' remarks, the Chinese embassy in Washington said that the US was 'overstretching' the concept of national security. 'Over the years, Chinese companies' investment in the United States has made important contributions to local jobs and growth,' said embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu. 'Politicising economic and trade investment issues violates the principles of market economy and international trade norms, only to undercut international confidence in the US market environment.' - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
