France to review planned military budget cuts after terrorist attacks.

[Nicov55]

Hollande just announced France is going to invest more than planned on it´s military. Priorities are intelligence and projection capacities.
It´s the first time i recall a socialist doing that in France.
Now, others in Europe such as Germany would do well doing the same. Only France and the UK have been serious about it in the past decades and the threat we face both inside and abroad concern everyone.
Your thoughts?

Edit: Sources added from post #21 - Aikanár

le Point
http://www.lepoint.fr/politique/holl...1896500_20.php

le Figaro
http://kiosque.lefigaro.fr/le-figaro#xtatc=INT-88

le Monde
http://www.lemonde.fr/international/...6244_3210.html

[hellheaven1987]

A good news that FFL is going to expand again after years of shrinking!! Anyway where is the source?

[Steph]

A good news that FFL is going to expand again after years of shrinking!! Anyway where is the source?

FFL? It has indeed been years of shrinking. FFL = WWII... So ended 70 years ago.

A small correction: the budget for military will not really be increased. What is currently announced is mostly a stop of the reduction of the budget. France is trying to reduce the budget of all part of the administration, but the military is likely to be spared for a few years. But it means we still need to find the money for that.

[Nicov55]

French radio half an hour ago. There was just a debate amongst journalists about it. All seemed to agree.

[kamikazee786]

They're going to have to, especially if 3 terrorists managed to get their hands on bulletproof vests and klashnikovs along with a rocket launcher !

[Stavroforos]

Well then, I'm guessing Hollande is thanking god that this attack happened so he can try boosting his popularity again.

[Nicov55]

Well then, I'm guessing Hollande is thanking god that this attack happened so he can try boosting his popularity again.

Well, he got only 5% more in the polls so he now reaches 20%.... Hurrah!!
But i have no doubt he will try to seize the momentum and try to divert from his incapacity to do what matters the most: economic reforms.

[Caligula's_Horse]

Not surprising, given recent events.

These terrorist attacks aren't very well thought out. Instead of causing the French to relent, they've gone and turned them more militant instead. Though I suppose expecting a bunch of homicidal maniacs to have a clear path to their ill-defined objectives is expecting a bit much on my part.

[Holger Danske]

Hollande just announced France is going to invest more than planned on it´s military. Priorities are intelligence and projection capacities.
It´s the first time i recall a socialist doing that in France.
Now, others in Europe such as Germany would do well doing the same. Only France and the UK have been serious about it in the past decades and the threat we face both inside and abroad concern everyone.
Your thoughts?

No, one country in EU will do that unless they would experience something similar, and even then (especially in Scandinavia) the focus on more well-fare will continue to take its toll on the militaries. Now the idiotic part here, at least in Denmark, is that we want to maintain a sort of activistic policy of using the military, but we continue to make them less capable...

I bet Putin is much relieved about the Paris attacks (and likely hope more will follow), since yet again the focus in the Western World is being diverted away from him.

[Mementomoridc]

No, one country in EU will do that unless they would experience something similar, and even then (especially in Scandinavia) the focus on more well-fare will continue to take its toll on the militaries. Now the idiotic part here, at least in Denmark, is that we want to maintain a sort of activistic policy of using the military, but we continue to make them less capable...

I bet Putin is much relieved about the Paris attacks (and likely hope more will follow), since yet again the focus in the Western World is being diverted away from him.

I love your post because of the Scandinavia related comment alone. If it was not for the stupidity of humans and war and the 3rd world which has to catch up with the rest of us we could ignore this all. Could you imagine the USA with 600billion more dollars a year to fix our infrastructure and give real health care and education out. they would still have so much money to spend it would be funny. The sadest part of it all would be that not only would quality of life improve for everyone but the economy would grow as well.

[Nicov55]

I love your post because of the Scandinavia related comment alone. If it was not for the stupidity of humans and war and the 3rd world which has to catch up with the rest of us we could ignore this all. Could you imagine the USA with 600billion more dollars a year to fix our infrastructure and give real health care and education out. they would still have so much money to spend it would be funny. The sadest part of it all would be that not only would quality of life improve for everyone but the economy would grow as well.

i don't know if you are familiar with Bill Maher's satirical show on HBO but he often insists on the points you raised. Even if they cut let's say 30% of their military budget, it would still be larger than the next ten top military spenders alltogether.
Now regarding Europe, only two countrie have been maintaining significant capabilities regarding their military. I believe the state of the world and the growing threats should invite them to review their stance on that issue.

[Treize]

France should invest in like rapid response reserve units or something like that on a regional level.

[Nicov55]

France should invest in like rapid response reserve units or something like that on a regional level.

That role is devolved to the Gendarmerie normally but too few officers are really efficient enough at an operational level. It was thought as an inside military force (like the US national guard) when Napoleon created reformed it but it then evolved more and more into a police force in charge of the countryside.
The number of troopers of both the GIGN and RAID might be increased and some antennas opened in the provinces. For now everything is too centralized (too often the french way).
Something would be to happen in a smaller city, it would take much time to react with efficiency.

[Treize]

That role is devolved to the Gendarmerie normally but too few officers are really efficient enough at an operational level. It was thought as an inside military force (like the US national guard) when Napoleon created reformed it but it then evolved more and more into a police force in charge of the countryside.
The number of troopers of both the GIGN and RAID might be increased and some antennas opened in the provinces. For now everything is too centralized (too often the french way).
Something would be to happen in a smaller city, it would take much time to react with efficiency.

I was thinking something like the Scandinavian Home Guards.

[trance]

I was thinking something like the Scandinavian Home Guards.

.

The Home Guards over here are far from worthless, but also far from being something to model anything after.

[Treize]

.

The Home Guards over here are far from worthless, but also far from being something to model anything after.

I am talking about having the means to source armed local "patriotic citizens" on short notice.

They could model it after Iranian basiji for all I care.

[DarthShizNit]

Vive La France!

That said...give source!

Also, fun fact, Japan also just announced it's largest ever military defense spending since WW2

[Nicov55]

Vive La France!

That said...give source!

Also, fun fact, Japan also just announced it's largest ever military defense spending since WW2

here's a source i found on the net http://www.valeursactuelles.com/poli...hollande-50076

I heard the news on french radio RTL tonight and there was a debate among journalists regarding it. They all agreed on the necessity but raised questions about the financing in a period of crisis.
The military high command has been insisting for months on the necessity to maintain a significant effort both because the operations abroad were stretching logistical capacities to their limits and the terrorist risks is higher than ever before.

[Captain Jin]

Increased military expenditure is good simply because France's military was dropping off in capabilities like many other European countries, but the attack in Paris is a dumb reason for that expenditure increase. It would probably make more sense to bulk up police capabilities and try to think of how you can make Muslims in France feel more like French people. Oh and probably do something about the ridiculous 751 ZUS's in the country.

[Sire Brenshar]

Increased military expenditure is good simply because France's military was dropping off in capabilities like many other European countries, but the attack in Paris is a dumb reason for that expenditure increase. It would probably make more sense to bulk up police capabilities and try to think of how you can make Muslims in France feel more like French people. Oh and probably do something about the ridiculous 751 ZUS's in the country.

What are ZUS? Potential terrorist threats?