France increases defense budget despite strained public finances

PARIS — France will increase its defense budget next year despite increasingly strained public finances, according to a document obtained by POLITICO.

The French government will present later on Thursday a 2027 budget that earmarks €63.4 billion for military expenditures, compared with €57 billion this year. About 12% will be dedicated to nuclear deterrence and 43% to the purchase and maintenance of military equipment.

That’s in line with increases foreseen by the military planning law adopted over the summer.

“To ensure our sovereignty, the government plans to strengthen our military capabilities through additional orders for major equipment (surface-to-air defense systems, anti-drone systems, and artificial intelligence),” the document reads.

This means France’s defense budget will have doubled under French President Emmanuel Macron’s two terms, which started in 2017.

The defense ministry is one of the very few to benefit from a budget increase in 2027. The government has announced a deficit target of 5% of GDP for next year, and the freeze on most other ministerial budgets at their 2026 levels has been confirmed.