Macron’s ‘Advanced Nuclear Deterrence’ Masks His Impotence

During a visit to the naval base where France’s submarine fleet responsible for nuclear deterrence is stationed on Monday, March 2nd, President Macron announced his intention to engage other European states in military exercises involving the deployment of this weapon, which is the foundation of French military sovereignty. In recent months, Macron has made several announcements about the possibility of sharing French nuclear deterrence with European partners, according to terms that remained to be defined.

Macron described this development as the establishment of “an advanced deterrence”. He then explained that he wanted to involve other European states in France’s nuclear deterrent. According to the head of state, eight states are interested: Germany, of course, but also Belgium, Denmark, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

How will the countries associated with this “advanced nuclear deterrence” bear their share of the research and development, manufacturing and maintenance costs that France has been bearing alone for so many years and from which they would now reap the benefits without having contributed?

And how would the sharing of responsibilities work in the event of a retaliatory strike? If France, for example, were to use nuclear force alongside Germany in the defence of Poland, would it be the only one to bear the brunt of enemy strikes in response, given that the bomb would be French and the aircraft would also be French? These are all questions that Macron has been careful not to answer.