Macron says France to 'increase' orders for Rafales as EU chief calls for "credible" deterrence

FRANCE 24 English

Visit our website: http://www.france24.com  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/France24_en

Transcript

00:00The idea has been gaining ground across Europe.

00:05The Europeans must now take charge of their own security.

00:10In France, after visiting an airbase Tuesday, Emmanuel Macron announced new defence investments.

00:16We're going to increase and speed up orders for Rafale jets.

00:21Meanwhile in Berlin, a historic vote by the Bundestag approved a government spending overhaul

00:27worth hundreds of billions of euros, which required a relaxation of the debt break enshrined

00:33in the constitution.

00:35A plan to pour funding into Germany's infrastructure and its long-neglected military.

00:41It's justified, says Friedrich Merz, because of the threat posed by Russia.

00:47We have felt a false sense of security for at least a decade and probably much more.

00:52Now we have to rebuild our defence capabilities.

00:54The decision we are taking today on defence readiness for our country can therefore be

00:58nothing less than the first major step towards a new European defence community.

01:05The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that Europe must

01:10build a credible deterrence capability within five years.

01:14But Italian Premier and Donald Trump ally, Giorgia Maloney, voiced misgivings about the

01:19rearming project and the suggestion that European nations needed to establish an independent

01:25security umbrella.

01:28It is unimaginable to build effective and lasting security guarantees by dividing Europe

01:33and the United States.

01:35Comments made two days before a European Union leaders' summit, where bolstering Europe's

01:40defences and support for Ukraine is to top the agenda.

Category

Transcript

Recommended