Nuclear, cybersecurity… Emmanuel Macron’s latest announcements on military strategy

War is brewing in Europe, France takes note of it. The new National Strategic Review has been unveiled. While the debates on the next military programming law 2024-2030 will soon be held in the National Assembly, this document constitutes the first step in the choice of the strategy that the State will have to adopt.

Written urgently to take into account and draw lessons from the conflict in Ukraine, this review above all prepares minds for a potential war to come. “It’s a change of mentality that we must succeed in producing,” he said to himself at the Elysée, as Le Figaro reports.

“The time has come for a more integral mobilization. It is a question of going to the post of warning. We must adapt to new contexts and put ourselves in a position of war economy”, declared Emmanuel Macron this Wednesday, November 9 during his speech in Toulon.

“In the context of a high-intensity conflict that directly concerns us, it is a real economic and industrial mobilization that we must already have thought about. The same goes for our infrastructures and our networks that we must protect, we see it currently with Ukraine.”, he continues before specifying, “It is not a question of militarizing society, but of strengthening the spirit of resilience”.

Thus, the Head of State expresses his desire to provide France with the means to deal with a high-intensity conflict. For this, the State relies on several fundamental pillars.

Security is the business of the whole nation. This is what Emmanuel Macron wants to make clear. For this reason, he said he wanted to develop the reserve. According to the National Strategic Review consulted by our colleagues, he even wants to double the number of reservists. He also explains that he counts on civic service but also and above all on “our great universal national service project”.

The Head of State also renewed his confidence in the Nation. “We can approach this exercise with confidence, because of the immense value of our armed forces, the quality of our industry and thanks to the civil ministries. But also confidence in our Nation, because our country at the hinge of the worlds carries and will always carry its ambition loud and clear.”, he says.

During his speech, he also highlighted two main pillars of French defence, cyber defense and nuclear deterrence.

“Today even more than yesterday, the vital interests of France have a European dimension. Our nuclear forces therefore contribute by their own existence to the security of France and Europe.” With this declaration, the Chief Executive insists on the interest of nuclear deterrence in the context of French and European security.

For the Head of State, Europe is no longer safe “from missile and drone strikes”. “We have adversaries who are not always States”, he specifies. Faced with these challenges, the President of the Republic said he wanted to have “a first-class cyber defense force” within five years.