Belgium to participate in France's new nuclear strategy, confirms PM
French president Emmanuel Macron has announced plans to increase the number of warheads in France's arsenal and to involve Belgium, along with seven other European partners, more closely in France's nuclear deterrent. Prime minister Bart De Wever welcomed Macron's initiative and confirmed that Belgium is prepared to “work closely with France on a credible and strengthened deterrent”.
According to Macron, the expansion is necessary now that the international architecture for arms control has been completely weakened. However, Macron refused to specify a target number of warheads and emphasised that France will no longer communicate the exact size of its nuclear arsenal in the future. “We are currently in a geopolitical fault line full of risks, which justifies a tougher defence model,” he stated.
The French president indicated that he is willing to explore a form of “advanced deterrence” that involves closer European involvement. Eight countries, including Belgium, have already agreed to participate in this initiative. The other partners are the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Greece, Sweden and Denmark, according to Macron.
These countries may host French strategic air force units on their territory in the future. By spreading its troops across the European continent, Paris aims to complicate the strategic calculations of its opponents. The cooperation may also lead to joint exercises and “signalling”, whereby France demonstrates its nuclear capabilities outside its own borders.
Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever welcomed on X Macron's initiative as an “important step towards a stronger European defence policy”. “We are prepared to respond constructively and to work closely with France on a credible and strengthened deterrent,” he added.
"We are prepared to work closely with France on a credible and strengthened deterrent"
This is an ad hoc collaboration that does not require any concrete investments and was discussed and given the green light by the entire Belgian government last week. For Belgium, the collaboration provides additional know-how and extra protection under the French nuclear umbrella. The broad, regionally distributed collaboration also makes that umbrella more credible, according to the Belgian government.
Macron did set a clear limit on this European cooperation: the final decision on the use of nuclear weapons remains unconditionally and exclusively in the hands of the French head of state. Under no circumstances will there be any shared decision-making, he emphasised.
France's President Emmanuel Macron and Belgium's Prime Minister Bart De Wever © PHOTO Ludovic MARIN / AFP