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       French President Emmanuel Macron celebrated a new seven-year defence budget ahead of the Bastille Day military parade, aiming to bolster France's global influence.

       However, despite the impressive showcase of new equipment during the parade, the reality behind the scenes is less promising.

       France's armed forces have been struggling to recover from decades of budget cuts after the Cold War.

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       Macron celebrated a new seven-year defence budget ahead of the Bastille Day military parade (Image: Getty)

       Although MPs recently approved a substantial 40 percent increase in the budget, totalling €413billion (￡354billion) for 2024-2030, challenges lie ahead.

       Approximately €30billion (￡25billion) will be lost to inflation, significantly impacting the budget's effectiveness. Additionally, maintenance costs and rising prices of advanced military technology will consume much of the remaining funds.

       As a result, the increase in spending will not bring about a significant improvement in France's military capabilities.

       Critics describe France's armed forces as a "bonsai army" because they possess a basic range of capabilities similar to the more powerful US military, but on a much smaller scale.

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       Macron deserves credit for addressing the issue even before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

       He aims to double annual defence spending to €68billion (￡58billion) by 2030. However, France will only just meet the NATO target of spending two percent of GDP on defence, after falling short for almost a decade.

       Speaking to RMC radio in May, former colonel Michel Goya said: “Our armies are short of everything! The €413bn in the new budget will only mitigate the disaster.”

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