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Macron enters into open war with France’s armed forces chief

It is a good thing if the General points out that with spending cuts must come changes in what the forces are expected to do. Without such changes, spending cuts simply lead to hollowing out capability, as maintenance is put off, parts inventory and weapons inventory run down etc. There are many European nations suffering from this problem, and IIRC the US also. Nevertheless, Macron is his boss. And his new boss at that. If I were Macron, I too would not let a General challenge my authority. Perhaps the General was put down in front of his men, but apparently he also challenged the boss in front of those men. Maybe he should have been wiser.
 
It is a good thing if the General points out that with spending cuts must come changes in what the forces are expected to do. Without such changes, spending cuts simply lead to hollowing out capability, as maintenance is put off, parts inventory and weapons inventory run down etc. There are many European nations suffering from this problem, and IIRC the US also. Nevertheless, Macron is his boss. And his new boss at that. If I were Macron, I too would not let a General challenge my authority. Perhaps the General was put down in front of his men, but apparently he also challenged the boss in front of those men. Maybe he should have been wiser.

He was auditioned by a closed defence commission of the National Assembly,those words should have never been made public. Who did ?

However,the President clearly humiliated De Villiers in public and in front of his subordinate and accused him of having made such statements publicly, which the General de Villiers never did.

He never questioned the President's authority,and for me,instead of asserting his authority,the President looked more like authoritarian.

Yes he used strong words,De Villiers is known for frank talking,however,it was within his right to tell the truth and acknowledge the real situation of the armies in front of the MPs.

I can tell you that his thinking is the general sentiment in the army,they have enough of being the piggy bank of politicians.

Either we give the necessary means so our armies can accomplish the missions politicians are giving them,or we withdraw our forces from fight against terror,but then politicians will have to assume this choice in front of the population.
 
Either we give the necessary means so our armies can accomplish the missions politicians are giving them,or we withdraw our forces from fight against terror,but then politicians will have to assume this choice in front of the population.
That is reasonable to expect. Cheese slicing methods don't work, one has to make choices, acknowledge them and live with them.
 
Macron seeks to repair damage after army chief quit

macron-military.jpg

French President Emmanuel Macron (R) visits the BA 125 French Air Force base in Istres on Jul 20, 2017. (Photo: Arnold Jerocki/Pool/AFP)


ISTRES: French President Emmanuel Macron was to address troops at an air base on Thursday (Jul 20) as he sought to repair the damage following the resignation of a highly-regarded military chief who challenged the government's budget cuts.

Macron flew to the base in Istres, southern France, a day after General Pierre de Villiers quit in the wake of a row over the government's plans to slash €850 million (US$980 million) from his budget.

De Villiers stepped aside after being publicly slapped down by Macron in front of the troops for telling a parliamentary committee he would not allow the armed forces to be "screwed".

The 39-year-old president's handling of the dispute with the 60-year-old general was widely criticised by his opponents and the press as heavy-handed.

Macron, who last week told the armed forces "I am your boss", stood his ground after de Villiers' departure, saying "it is not the job of the head of the armed forces" to question the budget.

The president also stood by his pledge to raise the defence budget again in 2018, saying: "I'm behind our troops."


In a sign of his popularity with the rank and file, staff at the defence ministry gave de Villiers a rousing sendoff as he left for the last time on Wednesday, forming a guard of honour amid rapturous applause.

The video of his departure was posted on the official Twitter account of the chiefs of staff with the message: "Thank you".

In his resignation statement, the general said he had no choice but to step aside in the face of the planned cuts.

"I no longer feel able to ensure the sustainability of the model of the armed forces that I think is necessary to guarantee the protection of France and the French people," he said.

General Francois Lecointre, a 55-year-old hero of the wars in the Balkans, was named as de Villiers's replacement. He accompanied Macron to the airbase on Thursday.

'SHOT SELF IN FOOT'

The French press held Macron chiefly responsible for the dispute, which many commentators saw as the first misstep of his two-month-old presidency.

The conservative Le Figaro daily accused the president of "shooting himself in the foot" in behaving "like a little departmental head who is obliged to remind everyone who's boss".

The leftist Liberation newspaper said Macron's "little authoritarian fit" could be a sign he was drunk on power and said he was time for the youthful leader "to grow up a bit".

Macron's defence cuts - part of a €4.5-billion reduction in spending aimed at reducing France's budget deficit - were viewed by the military as a betrayal after his strong show of support for the armed forces during his first weeks in office.

ACTION MAN

Macron's first foreign trip was to Mali, where he meet French troops engaged in counter-terrorism operations.

Earlier this month, he was photographed being winched action man-style onto a nuclear submarine from a helicopter.

The president's office said he would use the speech at the air base to "reiterate his support for the armed forces, reminding them of his campaign pledge to increase the defence budget as well as his ambitious plans for them in a difficult international environment".

Seen as one of the finest officers of his generation, de Villiers's departure triggered howls of indignation from the opposition.

Retired general Dominique Trinquand, who advised Macron during his election campaign, said the row had cast a pall over his otherwise "remarkable" debut. "This is a hitch that will probably be a bit difficult to get past," he told AFP.

Nuclear-armed France and Britain are the biggest military powers in the European Union.

French forces are currently taking part in strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq and 4,000 French soldiers are involved in counter-terrorism efforts in west and central Africa.

And at home, 7,000 soldiers are deployed to patrol the streets after a series of terror attacks that have killed more than 230 people since 2015.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...o-repair-damage-after-army-chief-quit-9049010
 
That is reasonable to expect. Cheese slicing methods don't work, one has to make choices, acknowledge them and live with them.

Today Macron tried to re-build the trust (and win back the hearts) with the armed forces and visited the nuclear forces at Istres air base. He reaffirmed his commitment to the nuclear deterrant and promised to increase the 2018 defence budget by €1,8 billion.

He made sure the armies aknowledged this effort as he said no other ministry will see its budget increased in 2018.
 
Yes way it go Macaroni, upsetting one of France's most dedicated soldiers. Now combine that with a 10 percent drop in popularity (the steepest in recent history) and the civil services plotting their assault on his presidency, the banker certainly has made his mark.
 
Yes way it go Macaroni, upsetting one of France's most dedicated soldiers. Now combine that with a 10 percent drop in popularity (the steepest in recent history) and the civil services plotting their assault on his presidency, the banker certainly has made his mark.

It is true that he messed up with the army. I myself (despite supporting him) disagreed with his handling of the situation. However,much French people do not care a bit about opinion polls or "popularity",they want to judge the President and his government's works. Let's see at mid-term.

A part from that however,he has to go through the much needed reforms and to hell with the unions (a minority) that want nothing to ever change and want to block the country. I hope riot Police and water canons are sent against them if needed. It's not a minority that will block the country from moving forward.
 
It is true that he messed up with the army. I myself (despite supporting him) disagreed with his handling of the situation. However,much French people do not care a bit about opinion polls or "popularity",they want to judge the President and his government's works. Let's see at mid-term.

A part from that however,he has to go through the much needed reforms and to hell with the unions (a minority) that want nothing to ever change and want to block the country. I hope riot Police and water canons are sent against them if needed. It's not a minority that will block the country from moving forward.

I thanked the part about your annoyance at his tiff with the general, and you are right about waiting to see what happens mid-term. I'm going to stay neutral regarding the unions, as I know French unions are far more aggressive than our UK ones. But I myself am a unionist, being a teacher so I'll take each case as it comes.
 

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