Tuesday, July 15

French President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed that he will increase the country's military spending by over €6.5 billion across the next two years amid the growing threat of Russian attack.

During conflicts of the past, the EU always had the strong support of the US behind them due to their position in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), giving them confidence. However, current US President Donald Trump has threatened to back out of NATO and has imposed 30% tariffs on the entire EU, set to begin on August 1.

Now, Europe is scrambling to build their military defenses in case of a Russian attack, as Putin has already invaded Ukraine and tensions between the two sides are rising. NATO's initial target for defense spending was set at 2% of GDP after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, but some significant changes were made to those targets this year. At the 2025 NATO Summit at The Hague in the Netherlands, the alliance agreed to raise defense and security-related spending targets to 5% of GDP by 2035, but France took it a step further.

Yesterday, just before Bastille Day, France's national holiday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that they would raise their military budget by €3.5 billion in 2026 and another €3 billion in 2027. The move is an approximate 6% increase from the €110 billion that has already been planned for the country over the next two years, but it still needs to be approved by the French Parliament.

However, the announcement has brought concerns over France's growing national debt, which currently exceeds €3.3 trillion. This gives the country a debt-to-GDP ratio of 113%-- one of the highest in Europe. Due to this, Macron plans to introduce a massive bill to cut government spending and raise taxes for citizens, which could see backlash in the near future. Nevertheless, the president has urged citizens to comply with the new regulations, which aim to help protect France from Russian threats.

France already has one of the most powerful armies in the European Union, with the United Kingdom as its only competitor, and maintains Europe's largest active personnel numbers. These two countries are also the only countries in Europe that possess nuclear weapons, making them the EU's strongest members in case of a war with Russia.

Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Forrest Fenn, an art dealer and author, hid a treasure chest in the Rocky Mountains worth over 1 million dollars. It was found approximately a decade later, in 2020.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): True ignorance is not the absence of knowledge, but the refusal to acquire it. (Karl Popper)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Nuance (noun, NOO-ahnss) - A nuance is a very small difference in something, such as color, tone, meaning, etc.

In a Sentence: Amy’s musical ear makes it easy for her to detect the subtle nuances in sampled music.