France's nuclear weapons must be part of the European defense debate, said French President Emmanuel Macron in a comment to a group of regional newspapers yesterday, with which he provoked the criticism of his political opponents before the elections for the European Parliament in June, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
Macron has spoken more frequently on defense issues of late, calling on Thursday for a stronger and more integrated European defense as he outlined his vision for a more assertive European Union on the world stage, warning that "Europe can to die", the agency notes.
In an interview prepared by a group of French regional newspapers from the east of the country, he said that "reliable European defense" must go beyond the protection already offered by NATO. "That may mean deploying anti-missile shields, but we need to make sure they block all missiles and deter the use of nuclear weapons," he added.
As for nuclear weapons, while France's doctrine has so far been to use them when vital national interests are threatened, Macron said he was ready to give a more "European dimension" of these interests. "I support starting this debate, which must therefore include missile defense, long-range weapons and nuclear weapons for those who possess them or who have American nuclear weapons on their soil," he added.
His comments drew criticism from opponents on both the right and left of the political spectrum, Reuters notes.
"Macron is becoming a national threat!", far-right European MP Thierry Mariani wrote in "X". "We cannot wait until June 9 to give him a clear signal that his politics are over!", added the MP, a member of Marine Le Pen's National Assembly party.
"These comments are extremely serious", said European MP Francois-Xavier Bellamy, who will lead the right-wing party "Republicans" of the European elections, expressing the opinion that they affect "French sovereignty".
At the other end of the political spectrum, far-left French lawmaker Bastien Lachaux said in Exa that "nuclear deterrence cannot be shared". "Under the guise of protecting European territory, #Macron wants to liquidate France's strategic autonomy,", he added.