In a major move to solidify French national defense, the Minister of the Armed Forces defended an updated Military Programming Law (LPM) before the Senate on April 28th. 

Catherine Vautrin backed the bill which adds €36 billion to the already substantial 2024-2030 defense plan, bringing total projected expenditure to €449 billion.

The update prioritizes deep strike capabilities, including the development of a conventional ballistic missile with a 2,500km range, and pours billions into munitions and drone warfare—lessons learned directly from the front lines in Ukraine.

However, the expansion has sparked a heated debate over France’s long-term military standing. Senate Committee Chairman Cédric Perrin (LR) expressed disappointment, warning that a scheduled slowdown in spending growth after 2027 will allow Germany to eclipse France, with Berlin projected to spend €160 billion on defense by 2030—more than double the French effort.

While Vautrin insists the doubling of the budget since 2017 proves the government’s commitment to sovereignty, conservatives argue that a 2.43% GDP spend remains insufficient to meet the 3.5% NATO target required to deter a potential crisis with Russia by the end of the decade.