The French government is ready to use its powers to requisition industrial facilities or set priorities for arms manufacturers to speed up the production of weapons and shells needed on the battlefield in Ukraine, according to French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu.
"These questions ... are clearly on the table," Lecornu says at a press conference, adding that stocks and production lines are particularly strained for anti-aircraft missiles and artillery shells.
Lecornu says he could requisition stocks or require companies to prioritize certain orders, citing MBDA's Aster missiles as a potential argument for such a move.
According to Lecornu, foreign demand for French-made weapons has been high, especially for the anti-aircraft missile, artillery, and radar systems available in Ukraine, but the country's defense industry is struggling to keep up.
Wartime economy
European Council President Charles Michel said that the European Union should switch to a wartime economy due to possible future threats from the Russian Federation.
French President Emmanuel Macron also spoke about the risk of an attack from Russia in the coming years. According to him, European leaders should be prepared for such a scenario.
On March 5, the European Commission presented the first-ever European Defense and Industrial Strategy at the EU level. The program mobilizes €1.5 billion from the EU budget for 2025-2027.
However, European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton said that the EU needs €100 billion to develop the European defense industry.
