The Constitutional Council paved the way Thursday for the inclusion of the military programming bill (LPM) on the agenda of the National Assembly, by validating the impact study accompanying it, whose opposition contested sincerity “.
The government wants final adoption around July 14 by Parliament of its text, which provides for an envelope of 413 million euros over seven years (2024-2030) for weapons, with annual increases described as unprecedented.
But its inclusion on the agenda of the Assembly was subject to the decision of the Constitutional Council. It had been seized to assess the conformity of the project’s impact study, a document which must specify the objectives and the expected effects.
The LR deputies, followed by the other opposition groups, had indeed questioned the financial figures provided in this text by the executive. The head of LR l’Assemble, Olivier Marleix, had notably judged them too vague and underestimating inflation. The LFI deputies had also formulated a series of grievances.
But the Constitutional Council ruled Thursday that the bill was presented under conditions consistent with the requirements of the organic law of April 15, 2009.
The impact study clearly defines the objectives pursued by the bill, identifies the possible options and explains the reasons for the choices made by the government, he underlined.
The impact study precisely sets out the assessment of the environmental consequences of certain measures and that of the consequences on public employment of measures linked to the Ministry of Defence, he also noted.
This decision does not prejudge the constitutionality of the content of the bill. But it allows it to be now on the agenda of the Assembly, where the start of the examination in the Chamber is planned for the end of May.
This was only the second time that the Constitutional Council had been seized for a reason of this type.
According to the Minister of Armies, the LPM records an unprecedented increase in the defense budget to reach 69 billion euros in 2030 against 32 billion in 2017, even if certain armament programs have had to be prioritized to the detriment of others.
The effort is justified according to the minister by the very rapid deterioration of the geopolitical context marked by the war in Ukraine, but also by the appearance of numerous technological leaps which have a cost.