Emmanuel Macron supported the chief of staff of the French armed forces, who stated that France must be ready to lose its children to deter Russia.
Emmanuel Macron supported the chief of staff of the French armed forces, who stated that France must be ready to lose its children to deter Russia. The president believes that General Mandon's speech was much more thoughtful than "a phrase taken out of context to scare people."
The words of General Fabien Mandon, the chief of staff of the French army, were perhaps the most quoted in the French media and blogosphere this week.
Speaking on Tuesday at the Congress of French Mayors, the country's top military leader called for a new "resilience" as Moscow, he said, prepares for "confrontation with our countries in the period between today and 2030."
"If our country falters because it is not ready to accept the loss of its children, to suffer economically because priorities will be given to defense production, then we will be in danger," Fabien Mandon told the mayors.
"We have all the knowledge, all the economic and demographic power to deter the Moscow regime from further attempts. What we lack is the resilience to accept pain while defending who we are."
Political Criticism from All Sides
The opposition, both left and far-right, quickly seized on such a biting phrase to attack General Mandon.
The leader of the party "La France Insoumise" (LFI), Jean-Luc Mélenchon, in particular, expressed his "complete disagreement with the speech of the chief of staff of the armed forces," believing that he overstepped his authority.
Fabien Roussel, national secretary of the French Communist Party, stated: "No - to unbearable talks about the start of war," condemning the "dangerous interference" of the chief of staff.
On the other end of the political spectrum, Sébastien Chenu, vice-president of the "National Rally" (RN), condemned the "mistake" of Fabien Mandon and denied that the chief of staff had a "legitimate right" to make such a statement.
Macron Confirms His Trust in Mandon
General Mandon enjoys "my full trust," the head of state stated at the end of the debates in Johannesburg, where he participated in the G20 summit.
"He delivered a speech that was much more thoughtful than this statement," said the host of the Élysée Palace, who believes that this statement was "taken out of context to scare people."
"Above all, I understand that the phrase was seized upon by many people who have a different agenda," Emmanuel Macron said, indicating that he does not want to succumb to "the spirit of defeat and despair." "We have a strong army, which we must be proud of and which has never let us down in fulfilling its mission," concluded the French president.
Earlier, the French Minister of Armed Forces, Catherine Colonna, also sided with Fabien Mandon, emphasizing that the chief of staff "has every right to express his opinion on the threats that continue to grow."
In turn, government spokesperson Mod Bréjon tried to calm emotions after Fabien Mandon's comments. "We will be very clear: our children, in the sense we understand it, are not going to fight and die in Ukraine," she explained on Friday on TF1, noting that France has "a professional army."
Clarification from Mandon
Finally, General Mandon himself took the floor on France 5 to respond to the arising disagreements.
Reminding that he "has his own children," the decorated military said that he "realizes how some people might have been concerned by his remarks."
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"I have friends who wrote to me, asking questions," he admitted, and then reminded that "the role of [his] speech" at the Congress of Mayors was to "warn and prepare."
"The situation is rapidly deteriorating," and "I felt it was important to share this observation with the mayors," he emphasized, adding that the reaction "shows that this is something that may not be sufficiently perceived by our population."
The head of administration also confirmed his "great confidence" in a country that "has always been able to face challenges."
"But to face something, you need to be prepared," insists General Mandon.
"The analysis of the danger posed by Russia is shared by all our allies in Europe," Mandon reminded in an interview with France 5. "Many European neighbors are restoring national service.
This is one of the elements that should be observed in France," the general stated as the executive power prepares to announce the introduction of voluntary military service aimed at recruiting 10,000 young people by 2030.
