TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - French President Emmanuel Macron announced an additional military budget of €6.5 billion, or around Rp123 trillion, for the next two years. This plan was delivered in his speech to the French military on Sunday, July 13, a day before the national celebration of Bastille Day.
According to Euronews, Macron stated that freedom is now more threatened than ever before. "Since 1945, freedom has never been so threatened, and never so seriously," Macron said.
He targeted that France would spend €64 billion on defense expenditure in 2027. This amount is double the €32 billion spent in 2017, when Macron first took office as president.
Reason for the Budget Increase
In his speech, Macron emphasized that the increase in the military budget is necessary to strengthen security in Europe and support Ukraine in facing the ongoing Russian invasion. He mentioned that Europe is facing serious threats not only from the Russian war, but also from conflicts in the Middle East and foreign disinformation campaigns.
“To be free in this world, we must be feared. To be feared, we must be powerful,” he said. As reported by Global News, Macron also stated, the ″the United States have added a form of uncertainty" to the situations in Europe.
Call for European Defense Independence
As reported by Politico, Macron—who had previously criticized the trade war of U.S. President Donald Trump against the European Union—urged European countries to unite in the production and procurement of weapons.
"Act together, produce together, buy together," he said, referring to weaponry. He also announced plans for a joint Defense and Security Council meeting with Germany at the end of August, which he said would be a moment to make new decisions.
Macron has tasked the French Minister of the Armed Forces, Sebastien Lecornu, along with military adviser Admiral Burkhard, to engage in dialogue with European countries interested in discussing the role of French nuclear weapons in regional security.
This speech was delivered amid increasing global tensions. The NATO Secretary General is scheduled to meet with leaders in Washington for two days, while U.S. President Donald Trump is set to make a statement regarding Russia next Monday. Meanwhile, France and Britain have recently agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of nuclear defense.
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