Available on demand on Arte.tv, the documentary « European Armament: Billions for What? » (« Armement européen : des milliards pour quoi faire ? ») looks at how the European Union plans to use the vast rearmament programme it launched in March 2025. According to the film, that plan is now estimated at €1.2 trillion by 2030.
The programme was set in motion by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who framed it at the time with the declaration that, to avoid war, one must prepare for war. The documentary places the decision in context: doubts over the American commitment, particularly regarding Ukraine, convinced the twenty-seven member states to rearm.
Produced with the collective of journalists from Investigate Europe, the film draws on interviews with numerous European officials and military personnel in Brussels, Ukraine, Germany, Denmark, Italy and Spain. In its French version, the narration by Stefan Marques asks what such a sum could otherwise build — « How many homes could we build with that? » — echoing an interrogation the film says is growing in public opinion as energy, education and housing crises affect many member states. The voice-over sets a resolutely critical tone for the investigation.
In its review, Le Monde describes the result as a bleak assessment of the situation. The newspaper writes that the journalists identify the causes of the waste they document but do not develop the possible alternatives in sufficient depth.
Sources: Le Monde Culture.