Royal wants French defence adapted to new threats

PARIS, Mar 3 (Reuters) French Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal said today she would ensure defence spending was kept at current levels in the face of a range of possible new threats to national security.

Royal insisted defence spending should remain at about 2 percent of gross domestic product.

''I want to maintain and adapt our defence effort. I mean to maintain it because the threats have changed but they have not disappeared,'' she told a meeting in Paris.

Royal and her centre-right presidential rival Nicolas Sarkozy have clashed over plans to acquire a second aircraft carrier.

Sarkozy has said he would go ahead with a second carrier, as it would allow France to keep one such vessel permanently at sea. Royal says she wants the construction of a second carrier to be carried out within the framework of European defence.

Royal justified her backing for current levels of defence spending by citing new risks from proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons as well as terrorism.

She also said she wanted to see France take a firm line on Iran which has refused to heed a UN deadline for halting uranium enrichment, a process that can produce nuclear fuel for power plants or bombs.

''We are at a turning point, the principle of non-proliferation is being put to the test,'' she said.

''If this limit were to be crossed, the avalanche of consequences and nuclearisation could not be stopped anymore.'' Royal also said she would reinforce the French parliament's power to have a say in matters such as overseas military operations and arms exports to ensure defence policy was the subject of a national debate.

Reuters DH VP0048