In his New Year’s message to the armed forces, the head of State, speaking in Istres, a town in the southern department of Bouches-du-Rhone, emphasized on the need to be powerful in the face of current challenges, citing the doubling of the military budget during his two terms at the Elysee Palace.

“To be free, one must be feared, and to be feared, one must be powerful,” he stressed to officers and soldiers gathered from a platform flanked by Rafale fighter jets.

Macron cited the war in Ukraine and France’s support for Kyiv against Russia, as well as the situation regarding the Danish island of Greenland, claimed by the United States as part of the expansionist doctrine implemented by Donald Trump.

The French president also asserted that France’s “life insurance” in the current challenging global landscape is its nuclear capability, which he described as a key deterrent.

Regarding the recently activated National Military Service, he expressed his confidence in young people and their willingness to enlist in the various branches of the armed forces.

Later in his address in Istres, Macron outlined the goal of increasing investments in space exploration, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing for defense purposes.

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