Macron, Saying Freedom Has Never Been So Threatened, Boosts Military Spending

THE NEW YORK TIMES: “You have to be feared in this world,” President Emmanuel Macron said, preparing France for an era in which it may no longer be able to count on the U.S.

President Emmanuel Macron of France, painting a somber picture of a threatening world, announced a sharp increase in military spending on Sunday in his traditional address to the armed forces on the eve of the Bastille Day national holiday.

“Our freedom has never been so threatened,” Mr. Macron said. “There are no more rules, it’s the law of the strongest that wins.” In this context, he added, “We Europeans must assure our security ourselves.”

His speech amounted to the strongest statement yet of the French view that old partnerships, particularly with President Trump’s America, have eroded; that the threat from Russia is acute; and that inhibitions over recourse to force in the world have disappeared.

“You have to be feared in this world,” Mr. Macron said. “And to be feared you have to be strong.” He added that “American disengagement” left Europe with no choice but to defend itself. » | Roger Cohen | Reporting from Paris | Sunday, July 13, 2025

Four French Soldiers Killed by Burka-wearing Bomber
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A suicide bomber dressed in a burka blew himself up near a French patrol in Afghanistan on Saturday, killing four soldiers and wounding five in one of the deadliest attacks on the French contingent in months.

The attack occurred in the mountainous Kapisa province in the east of the country, an area mainly patrolled by a French force under Nato command.

"It was an unfortunate incident. There was a patrol of coalition soldiers in a small bazaar and they were attacked by a suicide bomber wearing a burka," said Sediq Sediqqi, Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman.

French President Francois [sic] Hollande's office in Paris confirmed that the soldiers involved in the attack were French.

A statement from his office said among the five wounded, three were in a serious condition, and Mr Hollande would dispatch defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to Afghanistan on Sunday. » | Saturday, June 09, 2012