French armed forces are expected to receive an additional 36 billion euros by 2030 to reach a total of 436 billion euros in budget investments. This proposed law sets out the major directions and means for the French military. In addition, around 13 billion euros in extra-budgetary funds are set to come from real estate revenues or health service income. The Minister of the Armed Forces, Catherine Vautrin, defended the need to intensify the rearmament effort citing experiences from Ukraine, the Middle East, and the COVID crisis.
The trajectory outlined in the law would lead to an annual military budget of 76.3 billion euros by 2030 (2.5% of GDP). The law will need validation or potential revisions during budget debates every autumn, impacting the upcoming presidential election. The focus of the law is on essential investment areas like ammunition and drones.
One controversial aspect of the law is the creation of a new “state of national security alert” to deal with serious threats. The left expresses concerns about potential abuse of power. The government also proposes taking back control of certain public health missions and allowing the use of drones for security purposes. A significant feature is the introduction of a new military and voluntary national service worth 2.3 billion euros over five years. The law also authorizes the use of algorithms by intelligence agencies to track online connections for national defense and combating organized crime.
Opponents gathered near the Assembly to protest the increased military spending, highlighting other critical sectors like healthcare and education that need attention. A final vote is scheduled for May 12 in the National Assembly, followed by review in the Senate from June 2 onwards.
