Macron unveiled the broad outlines of the plan during Bastille Day celebrations this month, saying it would help the country “better protect our satellites.”
But the French president's agenda, unveiled in the midst of France's biggest national celebration, sits uneasily with Germany's preference for a multilateral approach to military and defense issues. [...]
In his announcement, Macron was careful to say that the plans should fit with a “European framework” but he also said the move is meant to strengthen France's “strategic autonomy.”
And the president’s insistence that the country must launch an “active” defense of its array of space-based infrastructure — key to communication networks, as well as intelligence, navigation and surveillance — has raised questions over whether he wants to develop offensive capabilities that could be deployed by France alone. [...]
However, Brussels is for the first time launching a significant program to fund defense equipment spending, despite strong opposition from left-wing groups to the idea of using EU cash for military purposes.
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