The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, confirmed his intention to present a draft of the military programming law at the first meeting of the Council of Ministers in early 2023. The announcement came on the sidelines of a visit to the sailors of the aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle", sailing in the Red Sea, to whom he wished a Merry Christmas. It is a law that aims to give the armed forces new and better equipment.

"It is logical that the nation gives you the means to carry out your missions" and "this is why our country is equipping itself with cutting-edge equipment: to respond to challenges, to face risks, to serve our ambitions, to protect us", explained Macron aboard the aircraft carrier.

"And the international context -continued the president- also pushes us, as we all know here, to question ourselves without hesitation to ensure that our choices are always pertinent, entrusting you with the best equipment and arranging it in sufficient numbers, continuing to innovate and improve. This is a goal of our programming work".

The preparatory work for the Loi de Programmation Militaire (Lpm) 2024-2030 could accelerate this week. It was discussed yesterday during the defense council meeting scheduled for December 22nd. However, the Court of Auditors was clear: the 430 billion euro investment (which combines the goals of the "Armies 2030" plan and those of NATO after the Russian-Ukrainian conflict) is unsustainable for French public finances. It's no mean feat, but Macron knows that it's the right time to make his promises come true.