--- title: "“Europe Was Naive”: France Demands a Strategic Awakening and Protection from the US and China" description: "France's Minister Delegate for European Affairs, Benjamin Adda, stated that the EU must simplify bureaucracy, protect its market from the US and China, and increase defense investment. The 2028–2034 budget provides for substantial support for Ukraine." date: 2026-09-23T10:22:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/france-eu-strategic-awakening-defense-budget tags: [eu, france, defense, budget, ukraine, economy, macron, bureaucracy] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # “Europe Was Naive”: France Demands a Strategic Awakening and Protection from the US and China ![French politician leaves a building against French and EU flags — Europe's strategic awakening](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/23/franciya-es-strategicheskoe-probuzhdenie-oborona-byudzhet/franciya-es-strategicheskoe-probuzhdenie-oborona-byudzhet-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - France is demanding that the EU simplify bureaucratic rules, continuing the work based on the Draghi and Letta reports - Europe is undergoing a “strategic awakening” amid pressure from the US and China - The EU budget for 2028–2034 will become a key document on defense, AI, space, and support for Ukraine - For the past year and a half, all support for Ukraine has been provided by Europeans, not the US - France will continue to support Ukraine even after the end of Macron's presidential term France's Minister Delegate for European Affairs, Benjamin Adda, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine, made a sharp call for the European Union to rethink its approach to economic policy and national security. In his words, the European system is “still too complex and too bureaucratic,” and amid growing pressure from Washington and Beijing, the bloc is undergoing what he called a “strategic awakening.” Adda emphasized that during the upcoming negotiations on the EU budget for 2028–2034, the central themes will be the integration of the single market, the “green” transition, and large-scale investments in space, artificial intelligence, and the defense industry. ### Simplifying the Rules: The Draghi and Letta Reports as a Starting Point The French official noted that large-scale work on simplifying the regulatory framework has already been launched. “We need to simplify our rules, because our system is still too complex and too bureaucratic. And last year we began a large-scale effort to simplify, continuing the work started in the Draghi and Letta reports,” Adda stated. In other words, this is a systemic reform that should reduce the administrative burden on European companies and boost the competitiveness of the internal market on a global scale. ### “Buy American” vs. European Naivety Adda did not hide that Europe had long remained in a bystander position while the US actively protected its own manufacturers by applying the “Buy American” provision. “Europe was naive for a long time,” he noted. As a clear example of the shifting economic balance, the minister cited Germany: a country that had previously actively exported goods to China has moved into a trade deficit over the past two years. That is precisely why, in his words, the EU is forced to strengthen the tools for protecting its companies from unfair competition from both Washington and Beijing. ### Defense and Strategic Autonomy: Europe Without the American Umbrella A separate part of Adda's statement was devoted to security and President Emmanuel Macron's vision of Europe as a force capable of independently defending its own interests. “For the past year and a half, all support for Ukraine has come from Europeans, not from the US. So we have indeed stepped up our assistance to Ukraine, and we need to keep doing so. But this really is a major effort in terms of the security and strategic autonomy of Europeans,” the official emphasized. He noted that over the past years the bloc's countries have already significantly increased their defense spending, yet European states face the task of actively investing in innovation and strengthening their ability to defend themselves at all levels. ### The 2028–2034 Budget and the Future of Support for Ukraine Adda also reported that EU countries are currently negotiating the European Union budget for 2028–2034. In his words, the document will provide substantial financial support for Ukraine. It is fundamentally important that France intends to continue helping Kyiv even after the end of Emmanuel Macron's presidential term, which effectively locks in Paris's long-term strategic commitment to the Ukrainian track regardless of the domestic political climate. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [In France, the EU Was Urged to Increase Defense Investment and Simplify Bureaucracy](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/frantsiyi-zaklikali-es-zbilshiti-investitsiyi-1790158539.html) - Прямое интервью министра-делегата Франции по делам Европы Бенджамена Аддада. Все цитаты, тезисы о бюджете 2028–2034, отчётах Драги и Летты, поддержке Украины и торговом дефиците Германии соответствуют тексту источника. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Who is Benjamin Adda and in what capacity did he give the interview? **A:** Benjamin Adda is France's Minister Delegate for European Affairs. The interview was given to the Ukrainian publication RBC-Ukraine. ### Q: What period does the EU budget under discussion cover? **A:** EU countries are negotiating the European Union budget for 2028–2034. The document will provide substantial financial support for Ukraine, as well as investments in defense, AI, and space. ### Q: Why is France talking about a “strategic awakening” of Europe? **A:** According to Adda, Europe was “naive” for a long time while the US protected its own manufacturers. Against the backdrop of growing pressure from Washington and Beijing, the EU is revising its approach to protecting the internal market and strengthening strategic autonomy. ### Q: Will France continue to support Ukraine after the end of Macron's presidency? **A:** Yes. Adda stated outright that France will continue to provide support for Ukraine even after the end of Emmanuel Macron's presidential term.