Macron called for an increase in the EU budget to finance innovation and defense

PARIS, September 30 – RIA Novosti. The EU budget needs to be increased to finance defense spending, artificial intelligence and the space industry, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday.

“We must increase the size of the EU budget. Without a doubt. Let me remind you that the last time we did this was during the COVID pandemic,” Macron said at a press conference following negotiations with the Spanish Prime Minister in Madrid. The event was broadcast on the social networks of the Elysee Palace.

According to the French president, additional funds are needed to finance defense, green technologies, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and the space industry.

"If we don't increase our budget, then either we won't spend and we won't participate in the innovation race, or we'll shift the responsibility to each country," he added.

In the latter case, according to Macron, the EU single market risks becoming fragmented. “We will have 27 policies in space, 27 policies in artificial intelligence - this is stupidity, because we will not have the necessary scale for this,” the French leader said.