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Affinité politique

🛡️ Issue

Foreign affairs and defence: what each candidate thinks

By Fadrique Garcia Font · Reviewed on 19/10/2026

Military aid to Ukraine, NATO’s integrated command, extending the nuclear deterrent to European partners, compulsory national service and military spending.

5 questions, 55 candidate positions and 3 complete disagreements (how they are assigned).

What each candidate proposes on this issue

A summary of their positions on the questions in this issue, based on their programmes, statements and the votes of their party’s group. Details and sources, question by question, below.

Attal

Agrees: “France should continue to give military aid to Ukraine”; “France should offer to extend its nuclear deterrent to its European partners”; “There should be compulsory national service for all young people”; “France should increase its military spending”

Disagrees: “France should leave NATO’s integrated military command”

Dupont-Aignan

Agrees: “France should leave NATO’s integrated military command”; “There should be compulsory national service for all young people”; “France should increase its military spending”

Disagrees: “France should continue to give military aid to Ukraine”; “France should offer to extend its nuclear deterrent to its European partners”

Glucksmann

Agrees: “France should continue to give military aid to Ukraine”; “France should offer to extend its nuclear deterrent to its European partners”; “There should be compulsory national service for all young people”; “France should increase its military spending”

Disagrees: “France should leave NATO’s integrated military command”

Le Pen

Agrees: “France should leave NATO’s integrated military command”; “France should increase its military spending”

Disagrees: “France should offer to extend its nuclear deterrent to its European partners”; “There should be compulsory national service for all young people”

In between: “France should continue to give military aid to Ukraine”

Lisnard

Agrees: “France should continue to give military aid to Ukraine”; “France should increase its military spending”

Disagrees: “France should leave NATO’s integrated military command”; “France should offer to extend its nuclear deterrent to its European partners”; “There should be compulsory national service for all young people”

Mélenchon

Agrees: “France should leave NATO’s integrated military command”; “There should be compulsory national service for all young people”

Disagrees: “France should continue to give military aid to Ukraine”; “France should offer to extend its nuclear deterrent to its European partners”; “France should increase its military spending”

Philippe

Agrees: “France should continue to give military aid to Ukraine”; “France should offer to extend its nuclear deterrent to its European partners”; “France should increase its military spending”

Disagrees: “France should leave NATO’s integrated military command”; “There should be compulsory national service for all young people”

Retailleau

Agrees: “France should continue to give military aid to Ukraine”; “France should increase its military spending”

Disagrees: “France should leave NATO’s integrated military command”; “France should offer to extend its nuclear deterrent to its European partners”; “There should be compulsory national service for all young people”

Roussel

Agrees: “France should leave NATO’s integrated military command”

Disagrees: “France should offer to extend its nuclear deterrent to its European partners”; “There should be compulsory national service for all young people”; “France should increase its military spending”

In between: “France should continue to give military aid to Ukraine”

Tondelier

Agrees: “France should continue to give military aid to Ukraine”; “France should offer to extend its nuclear deterrent to its European partners”; “France should increase its military spending”

Disagrees: “France should leave NATO’s integrated military command”; “There should be compulsory national service for all young people”

Zemmour

Agrees: “France should leave NATO’s integrated military command”; “France should increase its military spending”

Disagrees: “France should continue to give military aid to Ukraine”; “France should offer to extend its nuclear deterrent to its European partners”; “There should be compulsory national service for all young people”

France should continue to give military aid to Ukraine.

Since Russia’s invasion in 2022, France has been giving Ukraine weapons, ammunition and military training.

Of the 11 candidates with a position on this question: 6 in favour, 2 in between and 3 against.

France should leave NATO’s integrated military command.

France left NATO’s integrated military command in 1966 and rejoined it in 2009, while remaining a member of the Alliance throughout.

Of the 11 candidates with a position on this question: 5 in favour, 0 in between and 6 against.

France should offer to extend its nuclear deterrent to its European partners.

France is the only EU country with nuclear weapons. Only the President can decide to use them; the question is whether they should also protect European partners.

Of the 11 candidates with a position on this question: 4 in favour, 0 in between and 7 against.

There should be compulsory national service for all young people.

Compulsory military service has been suspended since 1997. A new, voluntary military national service started in 2026.

Of the 11 candidates with a position on this question: 4 in favour, 0 in between and 7 against.

France should increase its military spending.

The 2024-2030 military planning law, updated in 2026, already provides for a rise in the defence budget every year.

Of the 11 candidates with a position on this question: 9 in favour, 0 in between and 2 against.

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Who do you agree with on this issue?

The questions in this issue are part of the full test. On 3 of them the candidates hold opposite positions, so your answer matters.

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