The issue of military spending has returned to the forefront of the political debate in France amid rising geopolitical tensions and rising security risks.
A new trend has emerged within the Senate calling for a significant increase in the defense budget within the framework of the Military Programming Act that extends until 2030, reflecting growing concern about the security challenges facing the country and Europe in general.
Military Programming Bill
Senators in the committee approved several amendments aimed at raising the total budget for the military programming law to 450 billion euros by 2030, despite warnings from the Supreme Council of Public Finance that France does not have enough resources to achieve these ambitions.
While the Senate began debating the draft update of the Military Programming Act on Tuesday (May 19th), the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Cedric Perrin, announced on Wednesday during a press conference that several amendments to increase the defense budget beyond the increase requested by the government had been approved in the committee, and would be discussed in the plenary session between June 2 and 9.
Senate proposal: €50 billion increase
"Instead of the 400 billion euros currently allocated to the military until 2030 according to the plan adopted since 2023, the Senate is proposing to add 50 billion euros to this already large effort," the French newspaper noted.
This increase is higher than that approved by the National Assembly in its first reading on 19 May, when it approved an increase of €36 billion (440 votes to 122). If the Senate's proposal is not rejected, the total budget for the armed forces could reach €450 billion by the end of the decade.
Justifications for the increase: Rising global threats
"The current text of the military programming law is just to make the needs of the military more realistic, but we are proposing to draw the actual results of the rise in threats," Perrin said.
"It's a matter of consistency," he said, noting that the Senate, like many experts, has long criticized the underestimation of needs in the law passed in 2023 following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. This plan was also subsequently affected by inflation and the growing areas of deployment of French troops.
The Military Programming Act, which forms the backbone of French defence planning, has for many years determined the amount of resources allocated to the armed forces and the priorities for modernization and equipping.
The 2023 version set the spending cap at 400 billion euros, in a context that was then marked by the start of the war in Ukraine and France's attempt to adapt to its repercussions. However, subsequent developments, both in the level of the expansion of conflicts and the rising costs of armaments, have led many officials to consider this ceiling insufficient.
In this context, the Senate, through its Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense, adopted a set of amendments proposing to raise the budget to 450 billion euros, an increase of 50 billion euros compared to the original plan. This increase is more than previously approved by the National Assembly, which approved a smaller increase of only 36 billion euros.
The amendments are expected to be discussed extensively in plenary sessions in June, setting the stage for a political and legislative battle over the size of defense spending.
Previous Criticisms: Underestimating Needs
Proponents of this increase justify their position by the need to adapt to a new security reality of unprecedented complexity. The war in Ukraine has brought traditional conflict scenarios between states back to the fore, while non-traditional threats, such as terrorism and cyberattacks, continue to escalate.
The multiplicity of French troop deployments, from Africa to the Middle East and Eastern Europe, also imposes increasing financial and logistical burdens. In addition, inflation has led to higher costs of military equipment and energy, reducing the actual value of previously allocated budgets.
On the other hand, this trend is not without serious criticism and warnings, especially from financial institutions. The Supreme Council of Public Finance warned that France's military ambitions could exceed available economic potential, warning of the risks of widening deficits and rising public debt.
The warning raises questions about the state's ability to fund this increase without affecting other vital sectors such as health, education and social services.
The controversy reflects a clear division within the political class. While proponents of the increase argue that national security should be an absolute priority in an unstable world, opponents argue that expanding military spending may come at the expense of fiscal and social balances.
Some experts also point out that the problem is not just the size of the budget, but also the efficiency of its spending and the clarity of the long-term defense strategy.
Ultimately, France finds itself faced with a complex equation that combines security imperatives with economic pressures. Increased military spending may boost its defense capabilities and international standing, but it also poses significant fiscal challenges.
The final resolution of this file will be a real test of the ability of decision-makers to strike a delicate balance between protecting national interests and ensuring economic stability at the same time.
What is the French Military Programming Code?
France's Military Programming Act (LPM) forms the backbone that determines the size of resources and equipment allocated to the armed forces in the long term.
The approval of the 2023 edition of the €400 billion ceiling was an initial attempt to adapt to the shock of the Russia-Ukraine war, but the prolongation of the conflict, and the entry of the military manufacturing sector into a frantic inflationary race to replace ammunition and equipment, made the previous budgets unable to meet the strategic ambitions of Paris, which seeks to maintain its independence and its ability to intervene externally, prompting the legislature to push for an actual "war economy" despite the debt crisis weighing on the French treasury.