Macron directs defense ministry to review France's military spending
French President Emmanuel Macron says Paris has "entered a war economy."
French President Emmanuel Macron said, on Monday, that he has asked the Ministry of Armed Forces to review the Military Programming Law 2019-2025 (LPM) because France needs its economy to be leveled with the geopolitical situation in the aftermath of the war in Ukraine.
At the opening of the biennial Paris-hosted arms fair Eurosatory, Macron said, "I instructed the [defense] minister and the chief of general staff of the French armed forces to review the Military Programming Law 2019-2025 in light of the geopolitical events."
France has "entered a war economy," Macron tersely stated.
The LPM sets France's defense spending for the designated period at $308 billion, with the ultimate goal of increasing expenditures to the NATO standard of 2% of GDP.
In addition to providing military and financial aid to Ukraine since the outbreak of hostilities in February, Macron has launched a personal mediation effort between Kiev and Moscow.
He is scheduled to visit Kiev later this month with the German chancellor and the Italian Prime Minister to discuss unblocking Black Sea grain exports.
It is worth noting that Emmanuel Macron faces a hampered presidency less than two months after being re-elected, due to a surge in support for far-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
Official results show that the left and Macron's centrist coalition are head to head in the first round of elections, with 25.66 percent and 25.75 percent, respectively, in the first round of the country's parliamentary election on Sunday.