In the wake of the adoption of the Social Security budget, Sébastien Lecornu is launching a broad debate in the National Assembly this Wednesday dedicated to defense issues, hoping to rally a majority around the rearmament desired by Emmanuel MacronBy abandoning the use of Article 49.3, the Prime Minister is relying on an exceptional procedure, Article 50-1, to present the government's military strategy and seek the opinion of members of parliament on a €6,7 billion increase in the Armed Forces' budget from 2026. Lecornu intends to obtain a clear political signal, even if the vote has no legislative value.
This debate, which comes at a time when the state budget review is stalled, is intended to allow the government to demonstrate that the issue of military sovereignty transcends partisan divides. The Prime Minister insists on the need to approve the massive investments planned for the 2026-2030 period, nearly €36 billion in additional funding intended to support a strategic sector based on France's technological independence. Lecornu emphasizes that the country must not depend on anyone for its weapons systems and rules out any off-the-shelf purchase option from the United States.
But beyond the educational effort, the stakes are also budgetary. Without a passed budget, military orders and the implementation of the multi-year spending bill would be suspended, warns Lecornu, who accuses certain groups of downplaying the consequences of a rejection. Through this debate, the government wants to test parliamentarians' ability to separate defense from partisan squabbles, hoping to reach a compromise while deep divisions remain across the entire state budget.
