Emmanuel Macron arrived at a highly secretive nuclear submarine base to deliver a speech, accompanied by a squadron of nuclear-capable Rafale jets — a show of force to match the weighty remarks he was about to make.
“To be free one must be feared,” Macron said, “and to be feared one must be powerful.”
France’s president has decided that his country — one of only two European nations with nuclear strike capabilities, the “force de frappe” — is more powerful when it extends its protective umbrella to cover allies Paris considers part of its “vital interests.”
Against the backdrop of Russia’s nuclear saber-rattling and what Macron called a “resetting of priorities” in Washington, he warned that Europe must take more direct control of its own security and destiny. Referencing escalating violence in the Middle East, Macron said the world has become tougher and Europe must strengthen its nuclear deterrent and “think of our nuclear deterrent on a European scale.”
What changes and what doesn’t in French nuclear policy
Macron said France will increase its stockpile from around 290 warheads but will stop publicly disclosing the exact number. He emphasized that all nuclear moves would be coordinated with and complementary to NATO’s own nuclear deterrent. Crucially for Paris, there will be no sharing of decision-making over the use of the French stockpile — no US/NATO-style “nuclear sharing” that places weapons on other countries’ soil and ties them to cooperative control.
France does not participate in NATO nuclear activities, Macron noted, but coordination with the alliance will act as an additional deterrent. As part of what he called “advanced deterrence,” he announced possibilities for temporarily stationing French nuclear-capable aircraft in other countries, holding multinational nuclear-related exercises, and hosting visits to French nuclear facilities. Besides the UK, Macron named Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece and the Netherlands as participants; Sweden also signed on, its prime minister said.
Germany goes first
Coordinated with Macron’s speech, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz posted that Germany would be the first key partner after the UK. The cooperation will include joint military exercises and development of capabilities in early-warning systems, air defense and deep strikes.
Claudia Major, senior vice president for transatlantic security at the German Marshall Fund, called the bilateral deal “groundbreaking.” She highlighted how Germany’s shift — from a campaign five years ago focused on getting rid of nuclear weapons to now leading nuclear cooperation with France — shows an extraordinary synchronization in bilateral relations. Major also said Macron’s insistence on remaining “so NATO-friendly” makes it possible for partners to participate without appearing to replace the US umbrella and NATO sharing arrangements. Still, she underscored that French leaders will retain unquestioned control over their nuclear command.
“They will never compromise on the autonomy, never on the sovereign nature of the chain of command,” she said.
‘Advanced deterrence’ goes further than expected
Darya Dolzikova, a senior research fellow for proliferation and nuclear policy at the Royal United Services Institute, said she was surprised by how collaborative Macron’s proposals are, while noting France’s firm insistence on sovereignty over its arsenal. She had tempered expectations for how forward-leaning Macron would be on a European dimension to France’s deterrent, but the potential deployment of French nuclear-capable systems to allies’ territory and bilateral planning with European governments “does open up the door to much closer coordination with allies on nuclear issues than I expected the French to be ready for.”
Dolzikova, who has published research urging Europe to review its nuclear posture amid uncertainty over US security guarantees, said Macron’s approach appears to be more than words and signals a real upgrade in France’s commitment to its allies. However, deploying strategic systems further east in Europe increases the risk that France could be drawn into a conflict early if those systems were attacked. “It is a commendable step forward by the French in showing their willingness to take serious responsibility for European security,” she said.
New plans unpopular among Swedish opposition
Not everyone is impressed. Sweden, which long championed nuclear disarmament after ending its covert nuclear research program, saw opposition Green Party politicians speak out against extending the nuclear umbrella to the Nordic state, warning it risks pulling Sweden into an arms race. Macron’s speech came days after the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, capable of carrying nuclear weapons deployed by Rafale fighters, visited Sweden with fanfare from officials on both sides.
NATO’s nuclear doctrine was debated during Sweden’s accession process; the Swedish government has stated it would not host nuclear weapons on its soil during peacetime. Still, Green Party spokesman Daniel Hellden told DW that expanding nuclear arsenals, as France plans, “will not make Europe safer.” He argued Europe should focus on strengthening conventional capabilities and building robust societies that serve as deterrence in themselves.
Macron wants to ‘lock in’ measures before French elections
Domestically, Macron faced criticism from the far-right National Rally. Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella described the changes as a “political communication operation carried out without taking into account national interests,” decrying what they called a “dispersion of our nuclear means on European territory.” The National Rally, while no longer campaigning to pull France out of the EU and NATO, opposes deeper integration like Macron’s nuclear outreach. Bardella is currently leading in polls to replace Macron in the April 2027 presidential election.
Claudia Major suggested timing is strategic: Macron wants to “lock in as many practical steps as possible until the elections in France, so Le Pen or Bardella can’t undo it quickly.” That urgency, together with global security risks, helps explain why Macron is moving now.
Edited by: Carla Bleiker