French President Emmanuel Macron has been a pro-European leader for a long time. But things have changed in recent times.
Macron has made it clear that he will not allow France to become a mere puppet of the United States, as he perceives the EU to have become. Tensions between the EU and France have been steadily rising, and Macron has not been shy about openly defying the EU’s positions on various issues, including EU unity, the Ukraine war, and China.
France’s Own Path
The French president is forging his own path, turning his back on the EU and widening the rift between France and its European counterparts. It is no secret that Macron has long advocated for greater defense cooperation and integration among EU member states.
He has argued that a unified European military force would grant the EU strategic autonomy and reduce its reliance on the United States for defence. However, it appears that Macron is even moving away from that vision.
A new French defence bill has been proposed, aiming to establish a personnel reserve for the country’s defence industry. The goal is to address concerns over potential shortages of human resources in the event of a need to ramp up defence equipment manufacturing, particularly in emergency situations.
Read More: A nuclear showdown is about to start between the EU and France
A New Military
The bill, known as the Loi de Programmation Militaire, will allocate funds to the army and future defence equipment purchases from 2024 to 2030. Interestingly, the idea to create a military reserve assigned to the defence industries was not initially part of the proposed text.
However, Member of Parliament Vincent Bru proposed it as an amendment during the defence committee’s review of the bill. The amendment was adopted by the Defense and Armed Forces Committee of the National Assembly, and the bill is currently being debated in the plenary.
This military reserve would be at the disposal of the defence industries, serving as an additional workforce in case of emergency needs. In a war economy scenario, where increased production capacity is necessary, this reserve could be called upon to produce more and faster. It is a significant step for France, as it signals a focus on domestic military expansion rather than a broader EU approach.
Read More: France sends a stern message to the EU and US with a massive business tycoon summit
The scenario gets messier as the hostilities between France and the EU reach unprecedented heights. Concerns regarding the future of European defence integration and the cohesion of EU member states are raised by Macron’s divergent course.
Will France’s efforts to strengthen its own armed forces eclipse the long-cherished ideal of a unified European army? Time will only tell.
But for now, a new period of French military expansion is about to begin, but this time it will happen at their own leisure. Macron’s bold actions and rejection of the EU underscore his commitment to forging his own path for France. The future of European defence cooperation is in jeopardy as the divide between France and the EU grows.
Watch More:
