If the United States no longer came to protect Europe via NATO, Emmanuel Macron could decide to ostensibly increase the amount of public spending dedicated to the defense sector.
This Thursday, February 20, 2025, Emmanuel Macron spoke before the various political forces of the country gathered at the Elysée his wish to make the military expenses of France jump. In fact, the President of the Republic plans to increase them from 2.1 % to 5 %. According to information from France Inter, this scenario is envisaged “in the event that the United States decides not to protect Europe via NATO”.
At the end of the afternoon, the head of state then addressed Internet users, live on his social networks, about Russia, Ukraine and the security of Europe. And precisely, the subject of the military expenditure returned to the fore. “We are entering a new era, the risk is there (…) We go back in a time when we will have to reinvest even more, French and European, to strengthen our defense and our security,” he announced.
So why these 5 % of GDP? And what does that really represent? “It has been about fifteen years since the United States of America tell us ‘You are no longer our priority’. We are no longer sure to have the dividends of peace, which our grandparents have Eu, a world in peace in which one could think without risk, “first warned the tenant of the Elysée. If Emmanuel Macron has not given exact or approximate costing to support his idea, here is what could be.
More than 100 billion euros dedicated to La Défense?
In 2024, the GDP in value of France, or nominal GDP – which calculates the overall wealth, at current prices – was 2917.4 billion euros according to the numbers government. And according to Statistthe same year, the amount of public spending dedicated to the French defense sector amounted to 47 billion euros, which corresponded to the 2.1 % mentioned by Emmanuel Macron. Based on these figures, the defense budget, if it were around 5 % of the country’s GDP, would therefore reach around 125 billion euros. It remains to be seen whether the Head of State will open the expenses tap so much, nothing is less on.
The latter said he did not really know if “5% is the right figure for France, but in any case, we will have to go up,” he said on Thursday, on his social networks. Also, he “does not exclude” to “launch savings products” to support the financing of defense programs. “We enter an era when each of us must ask ourselves what it can do for the French nation and the Republic,” he warns and a new savings product seems to be “a very good idea” to his eyes. One thing is certain, no French soldier will be sent to the front in Ukraine immediately, but rather once peace is “negotiated” on the spot.