Deutsche Welle
January 20, 2023

Macron: France to hike military spending by a third

In a speech to soldiers in southwestern France, the president said he wanted the military to be ready for “high intensity” conflicts of the future. Paris now plans to spend an extra €118 billion before 2030.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced a major hike to military spending Friday to face evolving threats including Russia and China.

Macron said France would earmark €413 billion ($448 billion) on defense for the 2024-2030 period. That would mark a €118 billion increase from the 2019-2025 period, where Paris has pledged to spend some €295 billion.

He made the commitment during a speech to military personnel in the southwest of the country addressing the country’s new defense strategy in the wake of the Ukraine war.