President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that France will increase the size of its nuclear arsenal, citing global threats and the need to strengthen the country’s deterrent capabilities, reports The Guardian.
In a speech held at Île Longue, the naval base of the French nuclear program, the French leader presented his vision of how France could use its nuclear deterrent program in the future. Macron warned that “our competitors have evolved, as have our partners” since his last major defense speech in 2020; he emphasized that France’s nuclear deterrent element needs to be strengthened, used in a more preventive manner, and analyzed in a broader European context, while maintaining France’s sovereignty.
“The final responsibility for the use of these weapons will always belong to the incumbent French president,” Macron stated. He confirmed that he has already ordered an increase in the number of nuclear warheads, without revealing the exact figures.
Macron also discussed potential cooperation with European allies in what he called “advanced deterrence” measures. France is leading discussions on how its nuclear arsenal could support broader European defense, with exercises that could involve countries such as Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Poland. The French president emphasized that these discussions are being held “in full transparency” in relation to the United States and “in coordination” with the United Kingdom.
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