FOR a president usually eager to get the drama of politics right, Emmanuel Macron’s provocation of an open confrontation with his armed forces this month was a notable stumble. On July 14th he celebrated Bastille Day, riding in an open-top military jeep on the Champs-Elysées alongside Pierre de Villiers, the chief of the armed forces, before reviewing a parade with his guest of honour, Donald Trump. Five days later the furious general quit, saying he could no longer “guarantee” the means to protect France and sustain its ambition.
The affair has become Mr Macron’s first serious leadership test. He is likely to extricate himself, says François Heisbourg, a French security analyst, but the spat was “avoidable, at least in terms of theatre”.
The root of the dispute was money. General de Villiers, in office since 2014, was reappointed for another year on June 30th. He expected the military budget of €33bn ($38bn) to be maintained, and was reassured by...Continue reading
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