Macron boosts French military spending by over a third to 'transform' army

FILE PHOTO-French President Emmanuel Macron delivers his New Year address to the French Army, at the Mont-de-Marsan air base, France January 20, 2023. Bob Edme/Pool via REUTERS

MONT-de-MARSAN, France (Reuters) -France will boost military spending by more than a third in coming years, President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday, as he unveiled ambitions to transform the French army to deal with the great "perils" of this century.

Acknowledging the end of the "peace dividend" of the post-Cold War era, Macron said the planned 2024-2030 budget would adapt the military to the possibility of high-intensity conflicts, made all the more urgent since Russia's invasion of Ukraine almost 11 months ago.