French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Le Cornot on Monday defended the government's request for 413 billion euros over 7 years. He said it aims to "repair" a defense that suffers "damage" The debate is expected to quickly address the proportion of GDP allocated to defense spending, which France has pledged to raise to 2 percent as required by its NATO membership.
The project faces criticism from opponents for leaving major budget increases in military spending until after President Emmanuel Macron's second term. The opposition has expressed concern about delaying the delivery of several heavy equipment such as Scorpion armored vehicles.