Macron Rejects Claims of French Decline

French President Emmanuel Macron has rejected claims that France is in decline, arguing that a decade of military investment has left the country with stronger armed forces, greater strategic independence and a more substantial nuclear deterrent.

“We are not in decline. Don’t listen to what people tell you about that. We have a much stronger military today than we did ten years ago. Much stronger, more independent, with a genuine deterrent that is stronger in Europe,” Macron said in remarks circulated on October 29.

His comments come as France continues to expand defense spending and modernize its nuclear forces. His term ends in 2027.

Defense Spending Set to Double

France’s defense budget stood at about €32 billion when Macron took office in 2017. He has pledged to raise it to €64 billion in 2027, three years earlier than first planned, which would double it over ten years.

Macron told the armed forces in July that France had met the budget trajectory to the euro each year. France also reached his target of spending 2% of GDP on defense in 2025.

An updated Military Programming Law adds €36 billion for 2026–2030. It raises the 2024–2030 envelope to about €436 billion, according to the law’s published figures.

The priorities include ammunition stocks, operational readiness, drones, air defense, space and deterrence.

Nuclear Deterrence at the Center of French Strategy

France is the European Union’s only nuclear-armed state. It holds an estimated 290 warheads, according to SIPRI and AFP.

In March, Macron announced an increase in the arsenal for the first time in decades. He said France would no longer publicly disclose the size of its stockpile.

He also unveiled what he called “advanced deterrence,” which opens French nuclear exercises to European partners. Macron named eight countries that have expressed interest: the U.K., Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden and Denmark.

The plan could involve temporary deployments of nuclear-capable Rafale fighters on allied territory. Macron said there would be no sharing of the decision to use nuclear weapons, which remains with the French president.

The initiative comes amid European concern over long-term U.S. security commitments.

France Advances Nuclear Modernization

On October 6, France test-fired its new M51.3 ballistic missile from the nuclear-powered submarine Le Vigilant for the first time, off Brittany. The missile carried no warhead.

Macron witnessed the launch from a French warship. “Today we are stronger. The message has been sent loud and clear for wherever it must be received,” he said in a video posted on X.

At Île Longue in March, Macron said the first new-generation ballistic missile submarine, due to enter service in about a decade, would be named Invincible.

Rearmament Amid European Security Uncertainty

Macron has said France began rearming before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as part of a longer-term push for strategic autonomy for France and Europe.

In January, in a New Year address to the armed forces at the Istres air base, he said: “This decade of French rearmament is bearing fruit.”

“To remain free, one must be feared, and to be feared, one must be powerful,” he said at Istres. He also acknowledged gaps, particularly in drones. “We are behind,” he said, and called for faster action.

He also said France is “within firing range of Russia,” and set three priorities: bigger ammunition stocks, stronger operational readiness and safeguarding French sovereignty.

Debate Over French Influence Continues

Macron’s claim comes as analysts debate France’s global standing.

RFI reported on October 23 that French troops have withdrawn from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, and that France has ended permanent deployments in Chad, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire by negotiation.

Macron said in January 2025 that France was “not in decline in Africa,” but was “reorganizing itself.”