Emmanuel Macron recalled this Wednesday that French nuclear weapons also defend their European partners. In a speech in the port of Toulon, aboard the Dixmude helicopter carrier, the French president explained his country's defense strategy in view of the "Copernican revolution" that the war in Ukraine has brought about in terms of security.
"Today, even more than yesterday, France's vital interests have a European dimension," Macron said. "Our nuclear forces therefore contribute, by their very existence, to the security of France and Europe."
The fact that France explicitly offers its nuclear umbrella to the rest of Europe is not a great novelty, but it is relevant in the current context of continuous Russian threats. Since the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union, no other country in the community club has an autonomous nuclear deterrence capacity. The atomic weapons deployed in other countries, such as Germany, Holland or Italy, are American. France has four submarines equipped with dozens of intercontinental missiles with multiple atomic heads, as well as other nuclear weapons that can be fired from Rafale fighter-bombers. It is a modest arsenal, in no way comparable to the Russian or the American, but capable of dealing devastating blows to a possible aggressor.
Macron has insisted in Toulon that the French nuclear deterrence "is the backbone of our security" and must continue to be "modern and credible" to defend the "vital interests" of the nation. Those interests will be redefined and updated by himself in the coming years, depending on the circumstances. That strategic ambiguity about how and when a nuclear response could be activated is one of the foundations of the doctrine of deterrence. Part of this ambiguity is the generic statement that French atomic weapons also defend Europe. Would France react with the nuclear weapon to a Russian attack on Poland or Germany, partners in the EU and allies in NATO? Macron did not specify it, but the mere possibility already has a deterrent effect.
According to the head of the Elysee, the war in Ukraine "clarifies the state of the world" and highlights "the weakening of norms and taboos". The current war conflict "risks foreshadowing more extensive geopolitical aggressions in the future." For all these reasons, it is essential to "build a new European security architecture". You have to be prepared for a high-intensity war, with the challenges posed by the intensive use of missiles and drones.
France is true to General de Gaulle's idea of acting as a "balancing power"; that is, with room for maneuver in the world. Macron reiterated that concept, but added that it must also be "the engine of European strategic autonomy." That attitude is compatible, in his opinion, with being "an exemplary ally" within NATO.
