The 4 key arbitrations for the French presidential election in terms of Defense

While Moscow has just announced simultaneously the partial withdrawal of certain units deployed along the Ukrainian borders, and the Duma has just ratified the integration of the Donetsk and Lugansk Oblasts in the Donbass into the Russian Federation, the final decision remaining in the hands of Vladimir Putin, recent news has shown that Defense issues can no longer be ignored by candidates in the French Presidential election. However, the programs presented to date are most often content to list certain measures and promises, without offering sufficient visibility to voters as to the real strategy of the candidates if they reach the highest office.

In this article, we will present the 4 key decisions on which each candidate should express themselves, so as to present a clear vision of their own vision for the evolution of French Defense, and thus allow voters, in particular those who have an interest in this sovereign subject if there is one, to understand the reasoning and the underlying objectives of the proposals made. To do this, it would be necessary to present the 4 key decisions of French defense policy: the Mission, the Format, the Calendar and the Financing of the measures.

1- What will be the missions of Defense?

The French armies are today designed around the conclusions of the White Paper on Security and National Defense of 2013, amended by the Strategic Review of 2017 and its revision of 2021. In these documents, French Defense is broken down into 2 aspects, the strategic domain covered by the strong deterrence of 4 nuclear missile submarines, and by two fighter squadrons equipped with Rafale and nuclear missiles ASMPA, and the tactical and international policy domain, covered by an expeditionary force and projection means allowing armies to project military power equivalent to a brigade over short periods of time, even at great distances. This vision is the basis of the structuring of the French armies today, and whether or not we consider it to be relevant, is consistent with the mission as defined.

However, the geopolitical situation has evolved considerably in recent years, and what may have seemed necessary but sufficient in 2013, may largely appear insufficient or even unsuitable in the face of new threats. Therefore, the candidates' defense programs should, first of all, clearly present the missions that will be those of the armies and of Defense as a whole under their mandate. In particular, it is necessary to arbitrate the reality of the perceived threats, whether vis-à-vis Russia, China, Turkey or Islamist terrorism, but also the position that will be that of France on the international scene. , vis-à-vis its allies in Europe and beyond, its ambitions in Europe, in the Mediterranean basin, and its alliances. These clarifications will not only make it possible to understand and evaluate the objectives proposed for France on the international scene, but they will condition the adequacy of the proposed response with the objectives and ambitions presented.

2- Which Format for the Armies?

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