The most powerful army in the EU

Paris France celebrates the national holiday with a custom that is unusual for western democracies: a military parade takes place on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on July 14. Armored vehicles rolled down the boulevard again this year, fighter jets painted the tricolor in the sky with blue, white and red smoke stripes.

President Emmanuel Macron accepted the army review, which is more than just a show after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Macron’s announcement reads: France and the European Union are now in a “war economy”.

When it comes to defense spending, Paris and Berlin are practically on par, each with around 48 billion euros. However, the French armed forces are considered to be significantly more powerful than the Bundeswehr: France has the most powerful army in the EU, maintains bases around the world, and affords expensive weapon systems such as aircraft carriers and atomic bombs.