PARIS, France — French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that France will increase the size of its nuclear arsenal for the first time in decades, marking a major shift in the country’s defence policy as global geopolitical tensions rise.
Macron made the announcement from the Île Longue nuclear submarine base in Brittany, framing the move as a response to mounting threats from Russia, China, and a perceived shift in U.S. defence commitments.
France currently maintains an estimated 290 nuclear warheads, the fourth largest nuclear arsenal in the world after the United States, Russia and China.
Macron said his decision to order an increase was driven by “a period of geopolitical upheaval, fraught with risk,” and was essential to ensure France’s nuclear deterrent remains credible in the decades ahead.
“I have decided to increase the numbers of warheads of our arsenal,” Macron said at a military base at L’Ile Longue in northwestern France that hosts the country’s ballistic missile submarines.
“My responsibility is to ensure that our deterrence maintains — and will maintain in the future — its assured destructive power,” Macron said.
New Nuclear Doctrine and European Cooperation
Speaking to military personnel at the Île Longue base, home to France’s sea‑based nuclear forces, Macron unveiled what he described as a strengthened nuclear doctrine with a “European dimension”.
Under the new strategy, France will explore deeper cooperation with European partners, including the UK, Germany, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, and others, including the potential temporary deployment of nuclear‑armed aircraft in allied countries and joint exercises.
Macron stressed that France would retain sole authority over its nuclear weapons and any decisions to use them, underscoring national sovereignty even as strategic cooperation expands.
“This is not an arms race,” he said, maintaining that credible deterrence was vital to keeping adversaries from contemplating aggression.
European leaders have broadly welcomed the policy shift as a necessary step to bolster defence capabilities in the face of uncertainties about future U.S. commitment to European security under recent American policy direction.
Denmark, for example, announced a cooperation agreement on strategic nuclear deterrence with France, emphasising that it complements NATO’s deterrence strategy rather than replaces it.
Context of a Changing Security Landscape
Macron’s announcement arrives at a time of heightened global instability, from Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine to shifting strategic priorities from major powers like the United States and China.
The speech also followed recent regional conflicts that have tested Western security commitments, including tensions in the Middle East.
The policy shift signals a broader European drive toward greater autonomy in defence, with France positioning itself as a central nuclear guarantor for the continent.
Macron described the enhanced doctrine as a move toward “forward deterrence,” aimed at complicating the strategic calculations of potential adversaries, and ensuring Europe’s security interests are effectively defended.
Reaction and Criticism
While the announcement was welcomed by some European allies as strengthening collective defence, it drew criticism from disarmament advocates.
Groups such as the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons slammed the move as contrary to global non‑proliferation and disarmament goals, warning that enhancing nuclear arsenals increases risks and financial burdens.
Despite the debate, Macron reiterated that France’s updated nuclear strategy was essential given the “complex, unstable world” in which major powers’ commitments and threats are evolving rapidly.
As the only nuclear‑armed member of the European Union, Paris is positioning itself as a key pillar in the continent’s defence architecture while navigating the fine line between deterrence and escalation.
