The primary political responsibility of the President of the Republic, head of the Armed Forces, is to foster the conditions that ensure lasting peace and security within the country. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, some have believed that they could profit from the dividends offered by a very relative peace. I am not one of those. Unfortunately, with each day that passes, the reality of the world in which we live confirms how dangerous it is. We must guard against new threats and ensure we have the means to implement the political task we have set ourselves.

The Current Situation

Politically, we have to choose between an open France with a presence on the world stage and a France that retreats within its national territory. We must decide if we want to contribute to the stability of the planet’s onward march or become vassals to existing or yet-to-emerge empires. Do we want to propagate our model and our values, or become subsumed by globalisation, with the risk of losing our identity?

The Threats

It is customary to view a country’s outlay on defence as an insurance against the threats it faces. Merely debating defence expenditure and operational resources does not suffice to determine its true cost. We must not forget that defence is a response to threats and risks; to do so would be to put the cart before the horse. Everyone is aware of those threats: