German military build-up stirs anxiety in France

Germany’s accelerating rearmament programme is stirring unease in France, where officials and analysts fear it could alter the balance of power in Europe and weaken the position of the French defence industry.

While French officials have welcomed Berlin’s decision to significantly increase defence spending, they are also concerned that Germany’s military-industrial complex could emerge as Europe’s dominant force, given the country’s strong financial capabilities. There is also growing anxiety that Germany’s political influence will expand in parallel with its rising military power, officilas tell Bloomberg.

These concerns come at a time when France’s own geopolitical position is seen as increasingly fragile. French Member of the European Parliament François-Xavier Bellamy said that Germany’s strong commitment to additional defence spending is likely to create a dynamic that could leave France on the sidelines, adding that domestic political instability is already undermining France’s influence on the international stage.

Analysts say the shift marks a significant change in the traditional balance between Europe’s two leading powers. Claudia Major, vice president of the German Marshall Fund, said that after World War II a consensus had emerged in which France would act as Europe’s geopolitical leader while Germany would focus primarily on economic leadership.

She said Germany had long avoided becoming a political heavyweight, but is now combining economic, political and military power and seeking to consolidate this new role within Europe.

According to Major, this transformation places France in a particularly difficult position, and the anxiety surrounding Germany’s rearmament reflects as much France’s own internal challenges as it does Berlin’s growing ambitions.

By Sabina Mammadli