Delphine Deschaux-Dutard, a French political scientist and expert on European security and defence policy from the Université Grenoble Alpes, discussed with the Academy’s fellows the extent to which French and German rearmament policies can contribute to greater strategic autonomy for Europe. She explained that rising national defence spending does not necessarily lead to European strategic autonomy. Rather, she argued, the decisive factor is whether national efforts are translated into shared, operationally capable and sustainably funded European capabilities.

She examined the question of greater strategic autonomy across three dimensions: the ability to deploy and sustain military forces independently; the reduction of technological and industrial dependencies on non-European actors; and the coherence of European defence efforts through joint procurement, standards and training. Delphine Deschaux-Dutard clearly highlighted that although France and Germany are responding to the same security challenge, their national approaches differ significantly. France is pursuing a more gradual adaptation of its existing model of strategic independence. In this context, national sovereignty, comprehensive military capabilities and the adaptation of the defence industry within the framework of a ‘war economy’ take precedence. Germany, on the other hand, is undergoing a more visible transformation of its defence policy. The ‘Zeitenwende’, the special fund of 100 billion euros and changes to funding mechanisms mark a greater assumption of military responsibility. At the same time, the German debate is more strongly characterised by parliamentary disputes over expenditure, arms exports and compulsory military service. What both countries have in common, however, is that political responsibility and social controversies remain predominantly at the national level.

Differing strategic cultures, views on NATO and the Common Security and Defence Policy, nuclear deterrence, as well as conflicts over armaments programmes and exports, complicate cooperation. In conclusion, she stated that only when national rearmament processes are systematically linked to one another and to European capability targets will higher defence spending actually result in greater European capacity to act.