Expert on Macron's statement about use of French nuclear weapons for Europe’s defence

The European information space is actively discussing the statement made by French President Emmanuel Macron, who noted that the European Union needs a common defence strategy, the key element of which is French nuclear weapons, to provide the security guarantees that are so awaited in Europe. However, the French opposition criticised the statement and said that it is actually the Pressident that poses a threat to the country. In his talk with Alfa Radio, the Dean of the Journalism Department at the Belarusian State University, political expert Aleksei Belyaev, commented on this news.

“By saying that, Emmanuel Macron, in fact, stated that French nuclear weapons are supposed to be a shield for the whole of Europe. So far, they are used only for the strategic protection of France and its interests. In case of an attack on the country, France can use its nuclear weapons proceeding from the provisions of its doctrine. There are now many different versions and plans for the creation of a single armed group that would represent the interests of Europe separately from NATO. Macron wants to play the same role in this group that the US plays in NATO now: to become a country that gives guarantees to everyone thanks to its nuclear forces. However, in this case, if a conflict arises between, for example, Estonia and Russia, France will have to get involved in that war, using its nuclear shield to protect Estonia,” Aleksei Belyaev stressed.

According to the expert, the French do not want this to happen, “They have criticised Macron for his statement. Moreover, he was severely criticised not only by the French opposition, but also by his close associates. In this case, we see that such outspoken statements are made primarily to attract attention in the public space, and to try to increase their own political weight – but they have no real basis, since the nuclearisation of Europe now is a direct path to conflict. At the same time, can France with its 250-290 nuclear warheads compete with Russia, which has about 4,000 of them?”

“Therefore, Emmanuel Macron can only be recommended to think a bit more about what he says. He is already not a very popular politician, and by making such statements, he further reduces his political weight and authority, because everyone realises that his statements are completely thoughtless,” Aleksei Belyaev summed up.