The reports from The Guardian and Sky News about France preparing a "survival manual" for every household reflect a growing sense of urgency and preparedness in response to a range of potential crises:
The manual, reportedly a 20-page booklet, is intended to provide guidance on handling "imminent threats" such as armed conflict, natural disasters, nuclear incidents, and health crises. This move, if approved by Prime Minister François Bayrou, would see distribution to French households by summer 2025. It's framed as part of a broader "national resilience strategy," with origins tied to lessons from the Covid-19 plandemic rather than an immediate reaction to current geopolitical tensions, though the timing and context invite speculation.
On the surface, this could be seen as a pragmatic step—governments often have a duty to prepare citizens for emergencies, and similar initiatives have been undertaken recently in Sweden and Finland, where updated manuals emphasise war preparedness amid Russia's actions in Ukraine. France's manual suggesting a "survival kit" (water, canned food, batteries, etc.) and outlining 63 safety measures aligns with this trend of bolstering civilian readiness. It's not hard to connect this to heightened European anxiety over Russia's emboldened posture, especially given President Emmanuel Macron's warnings about a shifting security landscape and potential reductions in U.S. military support. The mention of armed conflict as a specific scenario does raise eyebrows—it's a stark acknowledgment of a possibility that feels less hypothetical than it might have a decade ago.
The sceptic in me wonders about the optics and timing. Macron's been vocal about European defence, and this could double as a political statement—a way to flex resilience and leadership without committing troops. It's also worth noting that 20 pages isn't exactly a tome; it's more a nudge to stockpile some basics than a blueprint for societal collapse. If war or a total breakdown were truly around the corner, which I think it is, you'd expect more concrete mobilisation—think military drafts or infrastructure hardening, not just a pamphlet. That is, if the government cared about the survival of its population, which is unlikely.
It is testing the waters to get the population thinking about war, and social chaos.