This year,
Emmanuel Macron is on the aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle
for Christmas with the troops.
"
The gravity of the moment requires us to be alongside our armies
," said the French president.
In an exclusive interview with
France Info,
he reaffirmed his desire to strengthen military strategy: “
This is the choice I made five years ago by reinvesting massively in our armies through a military programming law.
We are preparing a new law where we will have to go even further
”.
The objective according to Emmanuel Macron is to "
prepare the armies on a complete model
" so that they can "
find information, act independently, choose their partners, to protect both on our soil, in Europe and in the Mediterranean
" .
.
In particular, he mentioned new areas of conflict such as the sea, cyber and space: "
It requires us to invest in people, training, capacity investments and investments to have equipment in large numbers but also to make point innovation
”.
French President Emmanuel Macron greets navy soldiers upon his arrival aboard the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, sailing between the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, December 19, 2022. LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP
The Charles-de-Gaulle
aircraft carrier
participates both in strengthening NATO's defense and deterrence posture against Russia, against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, and in the fight against terrorism in Iraq and Syria .
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The flagship of the National Navy got down to securing the airspace in Romania last month, alongside NATO and the European Union, the president said.
"
Very clearly, the war, the return of the war in Europe, the play of powers, requires us to equip ourselves, to have a real strategy
", in reference to Russia, "
which has changed its behavior, Iran which helps it by providing drones, and to China's position
”.
French navy personnel operate on the flight deck of the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, sailing between the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, on December 19, 2022. LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP
According to the French presidency, the aircraft carrier “
is really a tool of strategic agility.
Depending on the evolution of the situation, it can switch from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea or the Indian Ocean
”.
The biggest building of the French Navy, which left Toulon on November 15, is accompanied by frigates, oil tankers, a nuclear submarine and maritime patrol planes.
For the last Christmas of the troops, Emmanuel Macron went to Africa (Chad in 2018, Ivory Coast in 2019).
In 2020 and 2021, he had to give it up due to the Covid-19 pandemic.