"By the end of the presidential term in 2022 the defense budget will reach 3 percent of GDP," Le Pen said during the presidential debate on Monday, broadcast by TF1.
According to the National Front party leader, by 2018 the defense budget in France will amount to 2 percent of GDP.
One of her rivals, The Republicans' presidential hopeful Francois Fillon, called the promise "unrealistic."
Le Pen and Fillon, together with three other presidential hopefuls, including independent candidate and leader of the “En Marche!” movement Emmanuel Macron, the Socialist leader Benoit Hamon and the leader of the left-wing political movement La France Insoumise (Unsubmissive France), Jean-Luc Melenchon, took part in the first of three televised debates leading up to the first round of the presidential election on April 23.
The second round of the election is set for May 7.
