06.03.2025, Paris.
French President Emmanuel Macron proposed launching discussions on using France’s nuclear arsenal to protect the entire European Union, he stated this in an address to the French nation on March 5, broadcasted live on the Élysée Palace website.
“I have decided to initiate strategic debates on protecting our European allies with our nuclear weapons. However, no matter what happens, the final decision (on their use) will always remain with the President of the Republic,” Macron declared.
On March 1, Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally parliamentary faction, rejected the idea of France’s nuclear deterrence being used for the broader defense of the EU.
“They want this conflict to continue so they can seize defense-related powers. I do not accept that. I believe that French defense must remain French defense, that our nuclear deterrence must remain French nuclear deterrence, and that we should neither share nor delegate it,” Le Pen told reporters in a statement broadcasted by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
She also clarified that the USA remains a key ally and that France’s exit from NATO is not on the table.
Previously, in an interview with Portuguese TV channels RTP1 and RTP3, Macron suggested reviving the idea of a pan-European nuclear deterrence force. Meanwhile, Friedrich Merz, leader of the CDU/CSU bloc in Germany’s Bundestag, proposed discussing the possibility of relying not only on the US nuclear umbrella but also on France’s nuclear capabilities.
