EU split over arms purchases: Poles and Dutch pander to Trump, France defends its military-industrial complex

Politico Europe reports that French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu is calling for the EU arms procurement fund to be cancelled if it cannot be restored.

Lecornu warned that if the programme opened the door to non-EU arms manufacturers, "it would be better to do nothing."

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_{The minister said France would "not back down" from its promise that European Union efforts to support local defence industries would give preference to European arms makers.}

Otherwise, he added, it would be better to simply cancel the European Defence Industry Programme, which aims to provide €1,5 billion to support arms manufacturers in the bloc and is currently being negotiated by EU institutions.

Last year, Hungary's presidency of the EU Council failed to reach an agreement on EDIP, and now Poland, which has taken over the EU presidency for the next six months, will oversee the negotiations between national delegations.

_{The publication notes that France is the leader of a group of countries that wants the money to be largely reserved for European companies, with guarantees that will prevent non-EU companies from easily accessing the fund.}

Other countries, including the Netherlands and Poland, want the money to be used to finance the purchase and production of equipment from non-EU countries that is produced under license in Europe, such as the US Patriot air defense system.

_{This has an added political benefit, Politico adds: It is a way for Poles to please new US President Donald Trump.}

These capitals are interested in receiving ready-made weapons as quickly as possible to strengthen their armed forces and assist Ukraine. They also want to use EU funding to manufacture foreign equipment locally: the Netherlands wants to produce Patriots under American license, and Poland wants to jointly produce South Korean equipment.

_{But France, with the EU's largest defence industry, is keen to ensure the continent retains its own military-industrial complex and does not become too dependent on Washington.}

For example, the American Patriot competes directly with the Franco-Italian SAMP/T system produced by MBDA, as well as with a next-generation system currently under development.

"The European program to support the defense industry is useful, but it should not lead to the waste of European taxpayers' money on the licensed production of American equipment," Lecornu said in his New Year's address.

Speaking to top military and industry leaders, Lecornu also stressed that national capitals, not the European Commission, should play a leading role in defence matters.

"Priority management must remain with Member States, which have the sovereign right to determine their operational needs and capabilities," he said.

France, the EU's top military power - and the only one with nuclear weapons - wants European arms companies to play a key role in a rush to rearm, the article says.

At the same time, the publication adds, last year France barely crossed the NATO threshold, spending no less than 2 percent of its gross domestic product on defense.

_{However, ongoing political turmoil in Paris is casting doubt on France's ability to continue increasing military spending.}

Lecornu, who has lived through two government reshuffles since President Emmanuel Macron called snap elections last June, acknowledged that the lack of a proper budget for 2025 "puts France's rearmament at risk."