- Title: Macron announces army budget will be spared cuts in 2018
- Date: 20th July 2017
- Summary: ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** MACRON LISTENING TO ARMY OFFICIALS DURING TOUR OF AIR BASE / MACRON GREETING ARMY PERSONNEL MACRON SHAKING HANDS WITH ARMY PERSONNEL VARIOUS OF MACRON LISTENING TO ARMY OFFICIALS MACRON LISTENING TO ARMY OFFICIALS DURING TOUR OF AIR BASE MACRON WALKING ONTO PODIUM TO DELIVER SPEECH WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, SAYING: "We will be increasing our defence efforts. The Ministry of Armed forces' budget, which is under the responsibility of the minister (Parly), will be increased to 34.2 billion euros of budget allocations, with 650 million euros going towards provisions for operations abroad, and 200 million euros dedicated to reinforcing the protection of our forces. That means your daily life. And on that, I will not allow anyone to say that such and such a budgetary choice is at the expense of forces, of your daily life, of your security. It's false." MACRON SHAKING HANDS OF ARMY PERSONNEL VARIOUS OF MACRON BEING GIVEN GIFTS FROM ARMY PERSONNEL JETS FLYING IN SKY MACRON WEARING MILITARY CLOTHING, SHAKING HANDS WITH POLICE OFFICERS AND WALKING WITH ARMY OFFICIALS MACRON, PARLY AND ARMY OFFICIALS WALKING UP STEPS OF C-135 MILITARY AIRCRAFT MACRON, PARLY, LECOINTRE AND ARMY OFFICIALS STANDING ON STEPS OF AIRCRAFT VARIOUS OF AIRCRAFT DEPARTING
- Embargoed: 3rd August 2017 17:38
- Keywords: Emmanuel Macron addresses army soldiers defence budget Istres budget cuts Pierre de Villiers military air base Florence Parly General Francois Lecointre
- Location: ISTRES, FRANCE
- City: ISTRES, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Defence,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0036QIUUKN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The French military will be spared budget cuts next year, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday (July 20), a day after the country's armed forces chief resigned in a dispute over defence budget cuts.
During a visit to an air base in the south-west of the country, Macron said the Ministry of Armed Forces would be the only one to get a budget increase in 2018, as he sought to reassure soldiers unsettled by the resignation of their chief, Pierre de Villiers.
Villiers has been replaced by General Francois Lecointre.
Macron reaffirmed his commitment to set the defence budget at 2 percent of GDP by 2025, up from around 1.6 percent currently.
As well as being an early test for Macron, the departure of France's most senior soldier highlights the stresses of a major military power as it battles Islamist insurgencies in Africa, partners allies in Middle East conflicts, and patrols its own streets after a series of home-grown jihadist attacks. - Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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