French President Emmanuel Macron called on Monday for a boost in the European defense industry.
This statement came during the opening of the international exhibition of defense and security industries Eurosatory near Paris.
"We need to have a stronger industrial and technological base for European defense, one that is much stronger and much more ambitious. And I will be intractable on this subject," Macron said.
He noted that public tender rules among EU states for defense industry contracts should also be simplified to allow more transnational cooperation.
Macron also pledged to step up domestic military investment, saying he had asked the defense ministry and armed forces chiefs of staff to reassess a military spending bill.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, France "has entered into a war economy in which I believe we will find ourselves for a long time".
The French daily Le Monde reported on Monday that the French government is considering changes to legislation to allow the state to confiscate the capabilities of companies in the civilian sector for its military procurement, which is only allowed during a state of war.
Macron's word came in the context of increasing defense budgets in the face of the war in Ukraine.
Follow the latest news on Google News
