LR deputies in ambush on the military programming law

Has the balancing act of the 62 LR deputies found its balance point when the examination of the military programming law (LPM) began this Monday before the national representation? Contrary to immigration bill that draws ire from the right the unprecedented increase in military budgets by 2030 – 413 billion euros – could, at the end of the debates, be the subject of a relative consensus on the right.

However, everything had started badly. Determined to oppose after the catastrophic episode of pensions, the LR group, through the voice of its president Olivier Marleix, had pointed to the increase in trompe-l’oeil, in certain aspects, of military credits. In particular the last “extrabudgetary” envelope, of an amount equivalent to 13 billion euros and which corresponded to future and therefore hypothetical sources of financing. After a page in committee, the said envelope was secured within the framework of the next finance laws to the great satisfaction of LR who seems to have won his case. Sufficient ?

battle of numbers

After having consulted a lot within the military ruling apparatus itself, LR hopes to push the financial cursor a little further during the debates in the hemicycle. At stake is the gradual increase in “margins”, i.e. the gradual distribution of military budgets each year, during the staggered implementation of the LPM by 2030.

This is also the subject of an amendment in session tabled by the LR group calling into question “the objective of bringing defense spending to 2% of GDP” as displayed so far by the executive. The bulk of the financial effort (+ 4.3 billion) is indeed planned for after 2027, once the next presidential election has ped.

The right proposes a higher rise, equivalent to “3 billion additional credits over the period 2025-2027”. “For us, it is a question of reversing or, if necessary, smoothing these margins that the government retains”, immediately umes Olivier Marleix, asked by “Les Echos”, on the first day of the debates.

“We regret that most of the effort is concentrated after 2027. War in Europe is right now. Our military effort is now. In reality, this LPM falls badly for them, the year when the majority tries to tighten public spending ”, adds the deputy of Eure-et-Loir anxious to point out the supposed contradictions of the executive.

For its part, the group of the Democratic and Republican Left (GDR), which includes elected Communists, filed a motion of prior rejection due to an “unprecedented level of expenditure”. As for the National Rally, represented by Marine Le Pen on the podium, it abstained during the vote in committee, suggesting a possible abstention on this text.

“The right has advanced the schmilblick”

The fact remains that the right, critical of “whatever the cost”, but quick to spend since the beginning of this legislature (purchasing power law, energy shield), will find it difficult to oppose a text which reinforces the nuclear deterrence decided by General De Gaulle. In addition to investments in space warfare, cyber-technologies or intelligence, France plans to build a new nuclear-powered aircraft carrier for initial sea trials by 2036-2037.

After a possible adoption in the National embly on June 6, the bill is expected in the Senate where the right-wing and center majority could have their own demands, forcing the executive to yield as little as possible to LR deputies in the first place. reading.

“It’s not historic, it’s not the great rearmament but the right has really advanced the schmilblick”, already claims Jean-Louis Thiériot, deputy for Seine-et-Marne and speaker for the group on defense issues. “We will see if we are heard,” moderates Olivier Marleix.

Behind the scenes, it is estimated that around a quarter of the number of LR deputies are likely to vote in favor of the text, the rest of the group being able to choose, weary of war, abstention.