“In a deteriorating geostrategic context”, the Senate dominated by the right wants to accelerate the pace of spending for the Armed Forces budget, while remaining within the overall budget estimated by the government at 413 billion euros over seven years.
The pace of spending did not correspond to the need to remuscle our armed forces without wasting time, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Christian Cambon (LR) told the press on Thursday.
The senators adopted on Wednesday in committee the military programming law (LPM) with 171 amendments to very substantially enrich the text and correct its faults.
Voted very largely by the National Assembly, it will be examined in first reading in the hemicycle of the Senate from June 27th.
Mr. Cambon welcomed the substantial effort made by France, with an LPM up 40% compared to the previous one, but pointed to gray areas.
The major modification made in committee is the smoothing according to a more regular progression of the budgetary trajectory until 2030, which responds to a request also expressed by LR deputies.
The senators have planned a budget increase of 3.5 billion euros in 2024 (against 3.1 planned), then 3.6 billion every year (instead of 3 billion until 2027 and 4.3 from 2028, i.e. after the end of the quinquennium).
The acceleration should in particular make it possible to reverse the delays in the delivery of equipment, armored vehicles in particular. Anything that is spent quickly will not be eaten away by inflation, underlined Mr. Cambon. Of the overall envelope, 30 billion must be used to cover inflation.
Our military expenditure must remain sustainable for our public finances, Defense Minister Sbastien Lecornu had insisted before the deputies.
Christian Cambon anticipates close discussions with the government on this point.
The senators also endeavored to strengthen the defense industry. They propose the establishment on January 1, 2024 of a sovereign savings account, exempt from tax and social security contributions, intended for the financing of defense companies.
They have strengthened the role of Parliament in controlling updates to the LPM or even the delivery of equipment.
The vote of the National Assembly obliges us. It shows a real awareness of the need to raise the guard, said the chairman of the commission.
The executive hopes for final adoption before July 14.