The National Assembly voted on Tuesday, May 19, to increase military spending by 36 billion euros as part of the Military Programming Law 2024-2030. The text will be examined by the Senate on June 2.
In an unstable geopolitical context, with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, deputies approved an additional 36 billion euros for the Military Programming Law 2024-2030. According to Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin, “This law allows us to respond to the acceleration of the threat.” This information was reported by our colleagues at 20 minutes.
The bill was adopted in its first reading by 440 votes to 122. Like the government camp, the RN (National Rally) and the PS (Socialist Party) voted in favor of this budget increase. The rest of the left opposed it, denouncing it as “liberticidal” measures.
The bill, which sets out the major orientations and means of the French military until 2030, aims to increase military spending to 436 billion euros by the end of the decade.
During the debates, Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin defended “the need to accelerate and intensify our rearmament effort,” citing “the experience gained from Ukraine, the Middle East, and the crisis related to Covid.”
The new trajectory, to be validated annually during the state budget debate, would raise the annual military budget to 76.3 billion euros in 2030, representing 2.5% of GDP.
This bill does not foresee changing the format of the armies (210,000 active soldiers, 225 combat aircraft, 15 first-rate frigates). Instead, it should favor necessary investments, starting with ammunition, including more missiles and shells, as well as drones.
Other measures included in this bill authorize certain private operators, such as airports, to use drone jamming or neutralization devices, as well as allowing them to delegate this mission to private subcontractors under certain conditions.
It also broadens the possibility for intelligence services to use algorithms to track and exploit web connection data, particularly for national defense, against organized crime, drug trafficking, or arms trafficking. Finally, other measures in this bill concern the youth, including transforming the Defense and Citizenship Day (JDC) into a mobilization day focused on military issues.
The project will be presented to the Senate on June 2.
published on May 20 at 10:00, Tristan Gorgeret, 6Medias
