More nukes, more NATO: Will Macron’s makeover of French defense last?

(Laura Kayali – Politico) Emmanuel Macron left his last NATO summit without a bang — fitting for a president for whom fiscal constraints and the prospect of a far-right successor threaten his defense legacy. The French president — who arrived late, departed early and barely spoke to the press — has often kept a low profile at alliance summits. Yet in his nearly a decade as president, he cemented France as a top power in NATO, deploying French forces to the border with Russia and pressing the case to rely less on the U.S. and for Europe to be more independent. That’s now the clear momentum. “The summit made it clear that Europeans are investing more and more and taking more and more action to defend themselves. I, for one, have been advocating this for nine years,” Macron told reporters as the summit wrapped up. – More nukes, more NATO: Will Macron’s makeover of French defense last? – POLITICO