France’s FEAR DOCTRINE—Welfare for Warfare?

French President Emmanuel Macron just declared that, in order to be free, France must be feared—and that means doubling military spending to an eye-watering €64 billion by 2027, as the rest of Europe scrambles to catch up with a world spiraling into chaos.

At a Glance

• Macron has accelerated France’s defense budget increase, now aiming to double it to €64 billion by 2027 instead of 2030.
• The new spending level is roughly the size of France’s massive annual debt payments.
• The move is driven by the Russian threat and a push for European military independence from the U.S.
• Fiscal concerns loom as the government must now find €40 billion in savings from other sectors to pay for the buildup.

Macron’s ‘Be Feared’ Doctrine

On the eve of Bastille Day, President Emmanuel Macron made a bombshell announcement: France will double its defense budget to €64 billion by 2027, three years ahead of schedule. His justification was blunt and chilling. “To be free in this world, you must be feared,” Macron declared. “To be feared, you must be powerful.”

France’s defense budget will double by 2027 compared to 2017, Macron says.

“In 2027, we will allocate €64 billion to our defense. That is twice the Armed Forces budget of 2017.” pic.twitter.com/dETtJ7rkbD

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) July 14, 2025

This is the new European recipe for liberty—spend until you’re terrifying, even when your national debt is already over 110% of GDP. Macron claimed the money would come from “increased activity and production,” not more debt, but with France’s annual debt payments already on par with this new defense splurge, it’s hard to see how this won’t squeeze taxpayers and gut social spending.

A Gamble on Europe’s Future

This massive military spending spree is about more than just France; it’s a signal that Paris wants to be Europe’s undisputed military heavyweight as American leadership is perceived to be waning. The plan will prioritize building up stocks of munitions, drones, and air defense capabilities.

But the gamble comes at a steep price. Prime Minister François Bayrou is now on the hook to find €40 billion in savings from other parts of the budget, a task that is already fueling a firestorm of political infighting. The move forces deep cuts elsewhere to fund the arms race.

The Grim Arithmetic of Power

The French armed forces and defense contractors are the clear winners here. French taxpayers and public sector workers, however, are bracing for the impact of the inevitable “savings.” Macron’s rhetoric about “military independence” being “inseparable from financial independence” sounds almost farcical when the country’s finances are already on such shaky ground.

While European allies may welcome a stronger French military, they are also wary of being pressured to match these spending levels. For a continent grappling with economic stagnation and social unrest, trading welfare for warfare is a dangerous and uncertain path.