Members of Parliament are updating, effective from this Monday, May 4, 2026, the military programming law passed in 2023. The aim is to “go faster and hit harder” in light of the return of war in Europe and the escalation in the Middle East.
This bill, which outlines the major directions and resources for the French Armed Forces by 2030, includes an additional 36 billion euros to reach a total of 436 billion euros.
During the last programming law two and a half years ago, discussions were centered around the return of war experience in Ukraine. Now, lessons from forty days of conflict in the Middle East must also be integrated, according to Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin.
“The world is toughening up around us, so we must move faster and strike harder,” added the Minister to justify this adjustment.
Despite the support of the central bloc and socialists, the bill has raised concerns. Some MPs believe it does not go far enough to handle the risk of a confrontation with Russia, especially as the alliance with the U.S. under Donald Trump’s leadership is weakened.
As the 2027 presidential election looms, some are cautious about the impact, with a new head of state likely to propose their vision through a new text.
While not changing the army’s format, the bill focuses on necessary investment positions, starting with ammunition. Additionally, it introduces a new “state of national security alert” to override several rules in case of a serious threat to the Nation.
There is worry on the left about a potential “state of exception” with ambiguous activation criteria. The goal is to adapt to a context that is no longer a time of peace or war, without compromising public freedoms, argued the Minister.
Another article in the bill would allow certain operators, including airports, to use jamming or neutralization devices against drones, which have increasingly intruded on European airspace.
The new voluntary national military service, which began recruitment in January, targets young people aged 18-19 for ten months. This 2.3 billion euro project over five years has been criticized by the left as an attempt to overshadow the failure of the Universal National Service launched in 2019.
A vote on the bill is scheduled for May 12 in the Assembly, followed by the Senate’s consideration starting June 2.
