"We no longer have time to procrastinate": for Emmanuel Macron, priority is given to defense
In his speech to the Armed Forces this Sunday evening, the Head of State is expected to make important announcements regarding equipment orders, strategic choices and financing.
By Henri Vernet and Olivier BeaumontFor the President's traditional address to the Armed Forces, this Sunday evening in Brienne (the ministry's headquarters) on the eve of the July 14 parade, the Élysée Palace set the bar high: Emmanuel Macron , his colleagues anticipate, will make "major announcements," both on strategic priorities and their financing. Which ones, and at what cost? Until the last moment, according to our information, a standoff was taking place between the palace and Matignon, where François Bayrou was reluctant to make quantified announcements, while he is preparing to unveil his plan on Tuesday to achieve 40 billion in budgetary savings.
To put this context of abysmal deficits into perspective, the Élysée Palace has been constantly dramatizing the threats hanging over the country in recent days. The deputies were "put in the mood" by the president's men. On Friday, Emmanuel Macron called on the Chief of Staff, General Thierry Burkhard , for a press conference warning of the "360°" threats and the Russian peril... Until the timely signing, the day before, Thursday in the United Kingdom, of an unprecedented Franco-British agreement on nuclear deterrence.
Le Parisien
