French President Emmanuel Macron is set to address the nation on Sunday evening, outlining major new defence commitments as France faces mounting security threats and a shifting global order.
Despite mounting pressure on public finances, Macron’s speech, delivered on the eve of Bastille Day in the gardens of the Ministry of the Armed Forces, is expected to include “major announcements”, according to the Elysée.
The address comes amid warnings from France’s top military officials. On Friday, General Thierry Burkhard, Chief of the Defence Staff, painted a stark picture of the security landscape, citing Russia’s enduring threat to Europe, the United States’ strategic retrenchment, persistent hybrid and disinformation attacks, and the ongoing war in Ukraine as key challenges.
The head of France’s external intelligence service, Nicolas Lerner, has also recently highlighted the heightened risks facing the country.
The forthcoming National Strategic Review, due for publication on Sunday, is expected to call for a significant shift in France’s defence posture. The last time France presented a National Strategic Review was on 9 November 2022, when Macron unveiled the document in Toulon.
Macron is likely to argue that France must adapt to a new strategic reality, requiring not just increased defence spending but also renewed intellectual, moral, and industrial efforts.
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The government has already raised the defence budget from €32.2 billion in 2017 to €50.5 billion in 2025, with the current military programming law allocating €413 billion for the armed forces between 2024 and 2030.
However, with France’s debt servicing costs projected to reach €62 billion this year, questions remain over whether further increases are feasible as the government seeks to rein in public spending.
Other European countries, such as Germany, Poland, and the UK, have already announced substantial boosts to their own defence budgets.
(With newswires)
