France plans to downsize military

The job cuts in the French military come at a time of high joblessness in Europe’s second-largest economy and discontent over the failure of President Francois Hollande’s administration to revitalize the economy."

France plans to cut the number of its military personnel under a proposed six-year defense budget amid general dissatisfaction over a rising unemployment rate in the country.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is due to present the 190-billion-euro ($251 billion) budget for the period between 2014 and 2019 in a cabinet meeting on Friday, which seeks to slash almost 34,000 military personnel in Europe’s second-biggest army.

The parliament will debate the budget in the months ahead that is largely expected to be voted into law by the end of 2013.

The job cuts in the military come at a time of high joblessness in Europe’s second-largest economy and discontent over the failure of President Francois Hollande’s administration to revitalize the economy.

Data presented by the country’s Labor Ministry on July 24 indicated that the unemployment rate in France hit a new record high of 11.2 percent in June.

The French government seeks to slash state spending by 60 billion euros over its five-year term to meet deficit targets.

The French Defense Ministry said in April, when it was outlining its 2014-19 priorities in a strategic blueprint, that its budget would remain mainly static in coming years.

Based on the draft budget, the army will also slow the pace at which it receives Rafale jets as it just receives 26 of the aircraft between 2014 and 2019. The normal pace is receiving some 11 planes a year.

France’s army currently employs some 228,000 personnel. A further 165,000 individuals are employed by the defense industry, not including sub-contractors.