Wars and Peace Forum: Groupe BPCE committed to French and European sovereignty

At the Wars and Peace Forum organized by the Le Point magazine on April 1, 2026, Groupe BPCE, a founding partner of the event, reaffirmed its commitment to French and European sovereignty. This event, dedicated to issues of defence, geopolitics, and sovereignty, with the theme "France, Europe, and Democracy in the Face of Global Turmoil," served as an opportunity to highlight the key role played by banks in defence financing.

Defence: a vision and dedicated organization

As financing the defence industry is currently a major challenge for French and European sovereignty, French banks are fully committed to financing the country's essential equipment and infrastructure, as well as innovative companies in the defence sector.

During a discussion on the theme "Banks: Essential Partners for Defense Actors," Nicolas Namias, Chairman of the Management Board of BPCE, highlighted the Group's commitment to supporting major transitions, particularly geopolitical ones, which are directly linked to issues of sovereignty. Financing defence means financing its players, particularly the SMEs and intermediate-sized companies within the Defence Industrial and Technological Base (BITD), which make up the vast majority of the sector.

This vision has been given concrete expression within the Group whose companies already contribute 20% of the financing for the defence sector in France, in line with our footprint in financing the French economy. A defence division has been set up within Groupe BPCE. Fifty-five representatives oversee the regional management of defence activities for their respective institutions or companies.

Pioneering financial innovations

The geopolitical situation and the operational lessons from the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the conflicts in the Middle East are profoundly changing the landscape for the BITD. Orders to strengthen our armed forces, replenish stockpiles, and the exponentially growing export sector are therefore driving us to meet the cash flow and working capital needs of SMEs and intermediate-sized companies, which make up the vast majority of the BITD.

The Group does not merely provide support: it also innovates. In 2025, it became the first financial institution to issue a bond labeled "European Defence Bond," with placement handled by Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking (Natixis CIB). Banque Populaire and Caisse d'Epargne were the first French banks to sign an agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support defense SMEs and intermediate-sized companies. The very first EIB loan was signed in late March 2026, in Metz, by Banque Populaire Alsace Lorraine Champagne and the EIB for the benefit of CIMULEC Groupe, an SME based in Moselle specializing in printed circuit boards for the aerospace, defense, and space sectors. Amounting to one million euros and with a seven-year term, this loan is intended to finance the company's working capital needs.