00:00On the eve of Bastille Day in France, the French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to increase
00:14France's defence budget. The increase is substantial and will have to be approved by
00:19the French Parliament. But the move shows France's increasing concerns, not just about
00:24European security but also about national security. So what are these defence hikes? Macron has
00:30proposed to increase France's military expenditure by 6.5 billion euros in the next two years.
00:35In 2026, he has promised to pump about 3.5 billion euros and in 2027, about 3 billion euros.
00:43He has also said that France will aim to spend 64 billion euros in an annual defence spending
00:48in 2027. This will be double the 32 billion in annual spending when he became President
00:55in 2017. Now, there are many reasons that the French President has cited for this decision.
01:02While making the announcement last evening, Macron said, to be free in this world, we must be
01:07feared and to be feared, we must be powerful. He also made a reference to Russia as the main
01:12enemy, given the security situation on Europe's doorstep in Ukraine. Terrorism and online attacks
01:19are also a worry for France, said the President, justifying the hike in military spending.
01:24Now, the timing of his announcement is crucial. It comes in the backdrop of a complicated geopolitical
01:30situation emerging with the United States, which has repeatedly taken digs at the EU for
01:35not having a strong security mechanism or a framework outside of NATO. However, the proposals
01:41will need to be passed by the French parliamentarians, who don't see eye to eye with Macron when
01:46it comes to defence budget. Conservative and far-right parties have supported greater defence
01:51spending, but on the other hand, left-wing parties accuse the government of sacrificing
01:56social welfare benefits for military spending. The decision by Macron has been made. The proposal,
02:02of course, is going to be tabled. It is going to be up to the French parliamentarians to
02:05decide whether or not this hike, this 6.5 billion euro hike in military spending is going
02:11to take place over the next two years. But one thing is for sure, when it comes to defence
02:15and security, France wants to change how things stand. Not just for it nationally, but also
02:22for the European Union. Parity Bhannot from Paris for One India.
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