France's President Emmanuel Macron has called for an effort to scale up weapons production in a switch to a "war economy" following the Russian invasion of Ukraine as he laid a foundation stone for a much-needed gunpowder factory.

Paris

France's President Emmanuel Macron has made a call for the country to enhance its weapons production capabilities, positioning this shift as a transition towards a "war economy". This announcement comes in response to the ongoing situation following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Furthermore, Macron has actively participated in this endeavor by laying the foundation stone for a new gunpowder factory, signifying a practical step toward increasing the nation's defense production capacity.



France’s Macron calls for expanded defense industry

A presidential visit to lay the foundation for France's shift towards a war economy and to mark the opening of a brand new ammunition factory in Dordogne. Ukraine's ongoing struggle against Russia has brought defence back to the top of the government's priorities. I'm convinced that we'll be living this geopolitical reality for a long time. There is a massive rearmament recently due to Russia. Everywhere in Europe we're seeing military spending and contracts on the rise. Politics is changing around the globe. We are committed to being a long-term part of a changing geopolitical strategy. The defence industry will have a growing role. President Emmanuel Macron has been urging defence industry giants to amp up their production. The state placed 20 billion euros worth of orders with manufacturers for 2023, the largest sum in almost 10 years. Europe's leading gunpowder manufacturer Urenco is promising to more than double its production capacity by 2025. We work seven days a week, 24 hours a day. The aim is to supply more than a million modular charges to contribute to the war economy and the current conflicts. The French war economy is framed around two main axes, replenishing ammunition and artillery stocks and relocating production facilities to France. The objective is to continue supporting Ukraine, to be prepared to react in the event of a high-intensity conflict and to maintain France's strategic autonomy. The transition to a war economy will also be made possible by the Military Programming Law which has set a provisional budget of 413 billion euros for the next six years.

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