Macron's government to boost military spending, modernize

Published February 08, 2018

French President Emmanuel Macron's government is unveiling a bill to boost military spending, notably amid demands by NATO and U.S. President Donald Trump for European countries to pitch in more for their own defense.

The bill being presented Thursday at a Cabinet meeting foresees 295 billion euros ($364 billion) in overall defense spending from 2019 to 2025. That includes 1.7 billion euros in additional spending each year through 2022, particularly to modernize equipment, improve cyberdefenses and intelligence.

Macron has promised to raise defense spending to 2 percent of GDP by 2025, in line with what NATO wants from all its members.

France's military chief quit last year after a spat with Macron over defense budget cuts.

France has thousands of troops overseas, from the Mideast to Africa, and will be the EU's only nuclear-armed nation when Britain leaves the bloc next year.

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