A 1950s law on a state of emergency was activated after the Nov. 13, 2015 terror attacks; it allows for searches and house arrests without a court decision. A “public health state of emergency” approved during the Covid pandemic was used to restrict freedom of movement and assembly without parliament’s approval.
The new regime proposed by Lecornu would allow the government “in the event of threats and when circumstances require it, to temporarily adapt our rules to speed up decision-making, simplify procedures, and remove the obstacles that are currently slowing down the implementation of our strategic projects.”
He did not provide more details, but added: “This is the rationale behind other measures the government will propose regarding the fight against drones, the management of strategic stockpiles and reserves.”
The new measure will be included in the updated military planning law, which will be presented to the Council of Ministers on April 8. The bill will be assessed by the National Assembly starting May 5, then by the Senate starting June 1.
Priority on munitions
“The most urgent need is, of course, munitions. We plan to invest an additional €8.5 billion in procurement between 2026 and 2030, on top of the €16 billion allocated in the 2023 military planning law,” Lecornu said.
The state will launch a new platform called France Munitions that will purchase in bulk for the French armed forces as well as allies and export customers — with funding from both the government and private investors. France Munitions will function as a special purpose vehicle, a legal entity created for a specific task. As previously reported by POLITICO, the idea was first pitched by MP Jean-Louis Thiériot.