France prepares to share its nuclear bomb with Europe

ParisWith the alliance between the European Union (EU) and the United States on the verge of being blown up and with Washington's rapprochement with Russia, A US withdrawal from NATO is no longer such a crazy idea. The countries of the community bloc are concerned that the most powerful country in the world will end up suspending the military umbrella that has protected European territory from external threats, especially from Russia, for more than six decades.

In the 1950s and 1960s, during the Cold War, the US deployed a nuclear arsenal in Europe as part of NATO's deterrence strategy. In 1971, Washington had about 7,300 nuclear warheads in countries across the Old Continent. Today, four EU countries have between 100 and 180 US B61 bombs: Germany, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands. Turkey also has one.

There are not as many nuclear warheads today as there were in the 1970s, but in 2022, with the war in Ukraine already underway, Washington has modernized its arsenal with state-of-the-art nuclear warheads. The devices operate on a "double-key" system: fighter-bombers from countries hosting US weapons are able to deploy the weapons, but their control falls exclusively to Washington.

Only nine countries in the world have a nuclear bomb, including Russia, China, Israel, North Korea and the United Kingdom. In the EU, the only country with its own nuclear bomb is France. Faced with the danger that Europe could find itself alone, without the protection of the US, French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed extending the nuclear deterrent umbrella to all EU countries. "The defence of Europe is an absolute priority for France," said the President of the Republic on Monday, accusing US President Donald Trump of being "indifferent" to the dangers that Europe could face.

There are no official figures, but according to some estimates, France has 290 nuclear weapons, half the number it had in the 1990s. After signing the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 1992, it gradually reduced their number. In addition, the French army has nuclear submarines capable of carrying 16 M5 missiles each and Rafale aircraft, which can also carry nuclear missiles.

Air training

The French president has not specified how the nuclear umbrella would be shared with Europe, but some French media speculate on the possibility of other countries hosting weapons. However, some experts see it as complicated because the nuclear non-proliferation treaty does not allow transferring weapons to other countries. To extend the umbrella to the European bloc, France could invite the armies of other partners to participate in the aerial training exercises – called Poker – that are carried out quarterly in French territory.

At the extraordinary summit on Thursday in Brussels, "some leaders" approached Macron to talk about his proposal, as he himself explained. Yes, historically some countries in the blog have been very reluctant to nuclear deterrence programs, with the new geopolitical situation marked by a Donald Trump who turns his back on Europe, some capitals look favorably on Paris sharing its nuclear umbrella. Germany, until recently opposed to nuclear weapons, now seems willing to talk about it. According to Macron, the possible future German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has personally told him that he is open to discussing the issue. The Baltic countries and some of the Nordic countries, such as Sweden, have also changed their position.

Since Trump's arrival at the White House, Europe is preparing to rearm and move towards sovereignty in terms of defence. With the American president marking distances with the European countries, the strategic autonomy of the European bloc is a priority. That France can share its nuclear umbrella is a step in that direction.

The proposal, "high treason"

In France, the far right has harshly criticised Macron's proposal. "French nuclear deterrence must remain French. We must not share it, much less delegate it," said National Rally leader Marine Le Pen last week. The other far-right leader, Éric Zemmour (Reconquista), went so far as to call it "high treason".

Faced with criticism from the far right, Macron has made it clear that although France shares its umbrella with other countries, it will not cede nuclear powers to Europe. The decision to use nuclear weapons "has always been and will always be in the hands of the President of the Republic". In any case, the umbrella is a defensive military strategy to deter the enemy from attacking. The purpose of the nuclear bomb is not to use it but to prevent a territory from being attacked. Le Pen knows this, but the leader of National Rally has already begun her campaign to win the Elysée in 2027.