Macron to reduce France's military budget by 850 million Euro's

[Boggit]

I just had this bit of news emailed by Sauron, as President Macron has created quite a stir in the French military by dramatically hacking their budget, and causing the Chief of Staff for the Army to resign with some choice comments.

It won't go down well with President Trump's call for NATO members to make a fair contribution.

It certainly didn't go down well with France's former Chief of Staff for the Army, General Pierre de Villiers (a 5 star general) who resigned slamming the door on President Macron, saying that the cuts meant he 'could not guarantee the safety of France, nor the French neither today, nor tomorrow'. In signalling his resignation he is reported to have said the decision put the army in an untenable position, and more colourfully added "I won't be fuc*ed like that (re Macron and the Executive)". :o To his men he is reported as saying "I can no longer keep my job and look you in the eyes".

Sorry it's all in French... you'll have to copy and paste into a "translate" site if you don't speak French.

https://www.marianne.net/politique/budget-de-la-defense-finalement-le-general-de-villiers-claque-la-porte
http://www.francetvinfo.fr/economie/emploi/metiers/armee-et-securite/pierre-de-villiers-le-chef-d-etat-major-des-armees-claque-la-porte_2291857.html
http://www.bvoltaire.fr/depart-general-de-villiers-lepee-cede-a-toge/
http://www.lexpress.fr/actualite/societe/pierre-de-villiers-le-general-cinq-etoiles-qui-defie-emmanuel-macron_1928104.html
http://www.lalsace.fr/actualite/2017/07/19/le-general-de-villiers-demissionne

[Gusington]

Wow.

[Staggerwing]

France has actually only been in NATO less than a decade. DeGaulle pulled France out of NATO in the mid-60's and they only recently rejoined. It may not take much for them to skip out again.

[Gusington]

I am not understanding the reason for the budget cuts though...especially now.

[Boggit]

I am not understanding the reason for the budget cuts though...especially now.

Neither does the former Chief of Staff of the Army, de Villiers.

Sauron commented to me that Lecointe - de Villiers replacement, is a 'yes man' poodle for Macron. De Villiers, as well as cross party critics of Macron think it is a bad decision in the light of terrorist and other security issues. http://www.lalsace.fr/actualite/2017/07/19/le-general-de-villiers-demissionne From Le Pen on the right to Benoit Hamon of the Socialists there is widespread criticism.

As Benoit Hamon said rather sarcastically "the resignation of general Pierre of Villiers after the announcement of the budget cuts to our armed forces is the new masterpiece of Emmanuel Macron."

Personally, I think it may be more to do with Merkel's push for an EU military, rather than one of sovereign nations as a means of cutting costs, amongst other things (although that veers dangerously into conspiracy theories, which is another story :-X).

[Gusington]

Heh 'poodle'

[bbmike]

[OJsDad]

https://twitter.com/defense_news/status/907293417746681856

[JasonPratt]

Heh. To paraphrase Chesterton (from the different but related topic of yellow journalism): when the French decide to make a frisson, they make a frisson! That's some quite-literally-classic Europolitical drama right there.  :bd: