President Macron issues citizens with an invasion guide

The French government has issued its citizens with a guide on how to respond to an invasion after President Emmanuel Macron warned Europe must prepare for war,

The move comes as tensions rise in Europe and fears grow over Russia’s aggressive tactics.

The new 20-page booklet, reportedly packed with 63 measures, will advise the French on how to protect themselves and their families in the event of armed conflict, natural disasters, industrial accidents or even a nuclear leak. 

It will include tips on how to create a ‘survival kit’ with essentials including six litres of water, canned food, batteries, a torch, and basic medical supplies such as paracetamol and bandages.

It also offer advice on what to do if an attack is imminent, including how to join local defence efforts, such as signing up for reserve units or firefighting groups. 

Citizens will also be told to ‘lock their doors’ in the event of a nuclear incident.

Despite the alarming content, the French government insists the booklet is not a direct response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

President Emmanuel Macron has previously warned that Europe must be prepared to confront the ‘Russian threat’ and adapt to the possibility that America could scale back its military support. 

Earlier this week, Macron revealed that French fighter jets equipped with new generation hypersonic nuclear missiles will be sent to the German border as part of his bid to renew France’s airborne nuclear deterrent.

Officials from the General Secretariat for Defence and National Security (SGDSN), which oversaw the booklet’s creation, claim the aim of the survival guide is simply to bolster France’s resilience in the face of ‘all types of crises’.

French newspaper Le Figaro noted that the kit’s rollout ‘could easily suggest that the state is reacting to the unstable international situation’.

Macron has recently called for Europe to rearm in the face of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and America’s wavering commitment to upholding European security under Donald Trump.

He initiated a doubling of the French defence budget over the course of his two terms and recently set an even higher target, saying the country should increase defence spending to 3-3.5 per cent of economic output from the current 2 per cent.

He has also offered to extend the protection of France’s nuclear weapons, the so-called nuclear umbrella, to other European countries.