Today at 18:43
French Prime Minister François Bayrou has called for the creation of a European defense union similar to NATO but without the participation of the United States.
Bayrou stated this in an interview with Le Figaro. He emphasized that the current situation should serve as a lesson for those “who believed that the security of Europe could be guaranteed by the United States.”
“France, since the time of General Charles de Gaulle, was right to consider independence as the only guarantee of security, including for Europe,” Bayrou said.
He also suggested that defense spending should be excluded from European budget deficit rules.
According to the draft French budget for 2025, military spending will increase by over €3 billion to €50.5 billion (2% of GDP). Since 2017, France has been systematically increasing its defense budget, aiming to double it by 2030 to €67.4 billion.
