France to raise defence budget by 3.8 billion euros from 2016-2019

[Gabriel92]

@flamer84 Better that nothing i'd say,now all European countries should do the same..

French President Francois Hollande said on Wednesday he would increase the country's defence budget by 3.8 billion euros over four years from 2016 to ensure the army had the capacity to deal with threats at home and handle overseas operations.

PARIS: French President Francois Hollande said on Wednesday he would increase the country's defence budget by 3.8 billion euros over four years from 2016 to ensure the army had the capacity to deal with threats at home and handle overseas operations.

"France is facing threats at home and overseas," Hollande told reporters. "Security, protection, independence are principles that are not negotiable."

He said the defence budget in 2015 would remain at 31.4 billion euros (US$34.51 billion), but that an extra 3.8 billion euros would be given to the army over the period between 2016-2019.

He did not say how the extra costs would be financed.

(Reporting By John Irish and Elizabeth Pineau; editing by Mark John)

- Reuters

 

[flamer84]

Yep,finally a good decision in a sea of stupid ones in the last years.

 

[Gabriel92]

Yep,finally a good decision in a sea of stupid ones in the last years.

Why would they spend 1€ if USA is here ?
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Also,he said that 7.000 soldiers will be permanently deployed in the streets.
@Taygibay

 

[flamer84]

Why would they spend 1€ if USA is here ?
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Yep.Daddy will make it better,daddy will take care of you.....until he doesn't.

 

[root]

Great also USA is always there to help france and other EU countries.

 

[Taygibay]

HUM! I'm gonna sound tough and unusually right wing but on essential
stuff, I often tend to be if quite leftist on all the rest.

A- No promise by Frankie goes to his mistress has any value in my eyes;
B- a proper state budget is 3% each Defense-Health-Education and a 1% operational margin.
Until back there, 300+ Rafales, 2 carriers and attrition reserves for ground troops can't be had;
C- Barkhane is strictly speaking a turning point both outlined in the Concept d'emploi des forces
and answering asymmetric warfare at geostrategic level ( preparing a big piece on my blog ) …
that has to be maintained and extended requiring alone that kind of extra cash;
D- NATO usefulness has been outlived and European Defence is yet unlikely which will require
another increase in spending, bigger than that since France is nearly doing it alone;
E- at the same time, we should ally with America more often for practical reasons but on our terms
because they want to rule the world and we "only" aim to control its hiccups and crazies but that
will still require more toys and credit lines than one additional billion per year.

Overall, spending money efficiently in this day and age requires strategic choices regarding cooperation
beyond the slow growing association with our Brit cousins. I'd favor selecting a couple small partners in
Europe but also a couple big ones outside as M_E. India or Brazil if they straighten for the longterm
( not yet the case ) could do and also a working relationship with Africa as a federated continent.

Until such decisions are made, who knows how organic choices will be affected, who knows how effectively
a yearly billion will be spent? How about due back pay to our soldiers themselves for instance? Heck,
if Russian Idol keeps his necessary undermining of Ukraine afoot and he likely will, the first billion or
two will be used to financially recover the Vladivosebastopol mishap alone!

So surprising good news, yes … but not enough by far IMHoO, Tay.

P.S. Just try and compute how much those 7, 000 guys doing the job of the police or
even security agencies will take off that B. Euros : a big chunk!

 

[Gabriel92]

@Taygibay I dont know if you remember,but ~2 years ago,they were talking about cutting 50.000 jobs (and a lot in the defence industry) stopping Rafale orders,Baracuda orders,NH90 and Tiger ,A400M orders,Fremm orders,A330 MRTT,Scorpion program and disband 30 regiments. and... even sell the Charles de Gaulle.. (The Ministry of Economy was ok for this... "Bercy mon amour..")
Luckily it didn't happen !
The "raise" of the defence budget,the cuts on personnels have been stopped that's a good step,now i hope there will be more good news during the update of the Loi de Programmation Militaire (In June instead of december because of the "exeptionnal" situation..)
It would have never happened (Cuts on personnels stopped,"raise" of the budget..) if there was no terror attacks 4 months ago ?
I guess.
Your POW?
(PS : The "Sociétés de projets" have been abandoned,and the Defence budget will not be funded by the REX. (Recettes exceptionnelles.)

 

[Taygibay]

Yes, agreed to the implied content of your post :

Defence spending should be autonomous from external conditions.

That is what I meant by giving my view on national budgets. Defence, health and education are perennial
and systemic needs, i.e. they are always essential ( more than necessary ) and an integral part of the
state's functioning. All 3 should therefore be allotted permanently as percentages of the flat GDP to as the
expression goes "sanctuarize" them. I would not mind it being inscribed in the constitution.

If things worked this way, planning of geo-strategy at the govt level ( from Prez/PM, Foreign Affairs, MinDef )
would be coherent in the mid-term to long term visions and politico-military tactics mostly decoupled from
circumstances. Additional funds could still be needed for OPEX in exceptional times of crisis, of course.

For the central power, this would simplify things too as they would spare time bickering over buys that could then be planned on the long term needs between industrials and the forces without hindrance from Bercy ( Finances ).
The number of hours spent advocating tho and fro could be spared. Even the public would benefit as all
3 fields of spending would then be resolved permanently and ( not always so subtle ) moves intended to
shift money around to fake savings ( structurally inefficient ones at that ) would disappear from each domain.

Last but not least, it would allow the DGA and Heads of Staff to debate solely on the phasing of credits
between the components of the Armed Forces while aiming with certainty for numbers of materials and not
imprecise opportunities. In other words, the minimum requirements ( 300+ fast jets, 2 carriers, 4 destroyers,
12+ first line frigates, SF budgets and so on ) as well as fixed amounts ( personnel pay and the likes ) would
be respected with only shifts from one to the other according to replacement needs to be juggled. The time lost
trying to fit economic uncertainties into military planning could also revert to proper use.

In my view, it's simple : 2+2=4! It did last week; it will next week! If governments understood this, all clear needs
would gain stability by being fixed and decoupled from opinion and see-saw conditions.
Two examples :
Public spending in France is at 53% down by half a point. In my mind public spending over half
the nation's resources should be outlawed.
Most electoral promises end up being tabled off due to economic problems. With a nominal percentage
affectation of available cash, the scope might move a bit if economic performance increased or decreased
but the changes over that variable could be directly faulted on non-respect of the politicians' word ( whichever
side ) instead of them hiding their inabilities and fraudulent behavior under monetary pretenses.

The time saved adjusting such budgets could also be used to care for the overall performance of the nation.

Probably too simple and honest for most of these professional liars though?

Grrrrr, Tay.

 

[Indus Falcon]

France to Boost Defense Spending to Fight Terror
Lisa Bryant
April 29, 2015 6:29 PM

PARIS—
French President Francois Hollande has announced a roughly $4 billion boost in defense spending to shore up security and fight terrorism. The country remains on high alert following January’s attacks in Paris.

Speaking after a defense meeting Wednesday, French President Francois Hollande said the spending increase will take place over four years, starting in 2016.

"The extra funds will go to boosting personnel and equipment to shore up security and the fight against terrorism. Of the 10,000 soldiers deployed across the country since the Paris terrorist attacks, 7,000 will become a permanent force," he said.

Hollande said the money will also help protect French forces overseas, in places like the Central African Republic, the Sahel region and Iraq. He said France had a duty to protect those who came under threat, but also defend the country’s security. He said security, protection and independence are non-negotiable principles.

In addition, an estimated 18,500 defense jobs are to be saved out of 34,000 the government had previously planned to eliminate.

France has been on high alert since Islamists gunned down 17 people in the Paris area in January. Last week, the government announced it had foiled five terrorist attacks in recent months, including one targeting churches near the capital.

The country is particularly worried about the rise of home-grown extremism, with authorities saying the risk has never been so high. The government estimates that hundreds of French have left to join Jihadist movements in the Middle East. Hundreds of others remain in France, posing a risk at home.

On Wednesday, opposition lawmakers from the center and far-right criticized the defense funding boost as insufficient to deal with the challenges that France faces.

France to Boost Defense Spending to Fight Terror

 

[ArsalanKhan21]

The profits from the sales of military equipment to other countries is providing money for this expenditure. Rafale sales to India and Qatar are very profitable. France with 90% GDP debt ratio and highest 75% income tax bracket does not have fiscal resources to increase defense budget.

 

[Gabriel92]

The profits from the sales of military equipment to other countries is providing money for this expenditure. Rafale sales to India and Qatar are very profitable. France with 90% GDP debt ratio and highest 75% income tax bracket does not have fiscal resources to increase defense budget.

The increase will be funded by cuts on other departments.

 

[Taygibay]

Actually @ArsalanKhan21 the 75% tax thinghie was never put in practice and discretely ditched a couple weeks ago.

One more promise not held by Frankie out of his 100 list.
As with the Éco-Taxe that his ex-wife recently terminated ...
as many more, with time running out from May onward for the rest!

The Rafale sales alone may save his presidency, you'll see!
Tssssssk, Tay.

 

[ArsalanKhan21]

The Rafale sales alone may save his presidency, you'll see!
Tssssssk, Tay.

Nicolas Sarkozy was such a nasty person that François Hollande seemed as breath of fresh air. Now Frankie has proven to be a disaster and that encouraged Nicky to come back. I hope France has a third choice !

 

[mike2000 is back]

@flamer84 Better that nothing i'd say,now all European countries should do the same..

French President Francois Hollande said on Wednesday he would increase the country's defence budget by 3.8 billion euros over four years from 2016 to ensure the army had the capacity to deal with threats at home and handle overseas operations.

PARIS: French President Francois Hollande said on Wednesday he would increase the country's defence budget by 3.8 billion euros over four years from 2016 to ensure the army had the capacity to deal with threats at home and handle overseas operations.

"France is facing threats at home and overseas," Hollande told reporters. "Security, protection, independence are principles that are not negotiable."

He said the defence budget in 2015 would remain at 31.4 billion euros (US$34.51 billion), but that an extra 3.8 billion euros would be given to the army over the period between 2016-2019.

He did not say how the extra costs would be financed.

(Reporting By John Irish and Elizabeth Pineau; editing by Mark John)

- Reuters

Vive la france.

 

[Gabriel92]

Vive la france.

Better than nothing.
NOW,you should follow our way and stop the cuts on your army.
We want to see UK back.