What about the de Villiers affair?

A look at the news - Loris S. Musumeci

Breathless, he declared: «France is at war. The means are not up to the task.» Under conditions that presented themselves to him as untenable, the Army Chief of Staff resigned last Wednesday. A first under the V^th Republic.

General de Villiers, sixty-one years old, was humbly asked by Emmanuel Macron to extend his term on June 30. Retirement age is looming, but military honor takes precedence. The president’s charisma certainly played a role in keeping the general in his post. Moreover, the commitment to increase the military’s budget to 2% of GDP remains.

«I'm not going to let anyone take advantage of me.»

On July 11, the French military was stunned by the red alert. Eight hundred fifty million euros were cut from the military budget. During a closed-door hearing, their leader reportedly uttered his now-famous line: «I’m not going to let Bercy screw me over.»

The response from the traditional head of the armed forces—namely, the President of the Republic—was scathing and unequivocal: «It is not appropriate to air certain debates in the public arena. I have made commitments. I am your commander. The commitments I make to our fellow citizens and to the armed forces, I know how to keep them.»

The reason this case has caused such a stir so far and wide is that everything contributes to the shock of new practices in politics. That the general’s remarks were made public, even though they were spoken behind closed doors, is nothing short of an injustice. That, however, the commander of the so-called “great silent one” is posting about and commenting on the controversy on Facebook is nothing but a calculated risk.

Two Men, Two Honors

The psychology of the two men is also drawing a great deal of attention. Whatever politicians may say about the French being interested only in real, pragmatic issues, the French don’t want to discuss just unemployment—they also want to talk about Brigitte, handshakes, and so on. For the president—accused, rightly or wrongly, of authoritarianism—the unease he provokes nevertheless signals a need to command respect. Emmanuel «the intellectual» did not, in fact, serve in the military, which would undermine his legitimacy.

Pierre de Villiers clearly feels humiliated. Perhaps the tables have even turned. The old man of arms wants to intimidate the young, inexperienced leader, but the latter is fiercer than he appears and is capable of devouring his predator. On the other hand, numerous accounts attest to the general’s kindness and dignity. The honor of his men is not for sale—any more than his own. His profound humanity is even highlighted by a journalist from Release, citing in a recent article remarks made by the general in early 2016: «A strategy based solely on military force can never address the root causes of violence when those causes are rooted in a lack of hope, education, justice, development, governance, and respect. Winning the war is not enough to win the peace.»

Pro-Macron

In light of the need for authority, supporting Emmanuel Macron would mean understanding the rebuke he delivered to the general. Reaching the Élysée at just thirty-nine years old requires a strong character. Without that, he’s just a smaller, nicer, more naive—and worse—version of Hollande. What the president seeks to embody—a Jupiterian, essentially monarchical, reign—also demands such an attitude.

On a more technical note, Richard Werly of the Time notes—despite the rest of his article—that the budget cut of 850 million euros corresponds, more or less, to the amount invested in Operation Sentinelle in 2016. This €840 million operation is nothing other than the security implementation of the state of emergency declared following the attacks, deploying 10,000 soldiers on French soil. However, the Macron government has decided to end the state of emergency. Logically, there would be no real financial loss for the armed forces.

Christophe Barbier, editorial director at L'Express, points out in its editorial two mistakes made by General de Villiers, without, however, coming to the president’s defense. One is his conduct: as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, his language should be free of vulgarity. Also regarding his attitude, sharing a letter of dissent directed at the president on Facebook is unbecoming of a high-ranking government official, especially one within the military.

As for the substance of the matter, Pierre de Villiers is said to have clung to outdated thinking. There can be no honorable army without honorable resources. However, this does not take into account Macron’s approach to rethinking military funding: European Union participation, whereby all member states benefit from the protection provided by French troops. The focus on cyberthreats also leads to a failure to replace obsolete weapons needed to wage a new kind of war against Islamists and other disruptors.

Pro de Villiers

Support for the general's party remains more visible. Arnaud de La Grange, in Thursday's editorial in the Figaro, also points out two mistakes—but ones made by Macron. One is a matter of form, the other of substance. Surprisingly, the latter is not the most significant. What the president apparently failed to consider when cutting funding to the armed forces is that they alone sacrifice the lives of their soldiers for France. From a formal standpoint, he crossed the line of what is acceptable by accusing the military—which is, after all, known for its valor—of a «lack of dignity.» Total humiliation. An injustice in the eyes of the French people, who—especially since the attacks—have maintained an almost romantic attachment to the military, which, day after day, protects the lives of their children.

Still at the Figaro, politicians were asked for their opinions. Four former defense ministers spoke out, and few of their arguments supported the president. Jean-Pierre Chevènement regrets Pierre de Villiers« departure but points out that, unfortunately, when faced with the supreme authority, one must choose between »keeping one’s mouth shut« or resigning. For Charles Milon, »Macron doesn’t know France.” Michèle Aliot-Marie, for her part, believes that Emmanuel Macron lacks the experience to delegate to ministers, as well as the know-how of the Ministry of Finance. Gérard Longuet, who himself had to stand up to de Villiers, is disturbed by the public airing of the affair. Everything could have been settled without humiliation, behind closed doors in an office.

Other politicians have weighed in on this resignation, from Mélenchon to Marine Le Pen. The fact that the anti-militarist left—from anarchists to Hamon—is outraged by the general’s rather forced resignation brings a slight smile to one’s face. Although even the right is, in this case, being labeled hypocritical because of the cuts that François Fillon had planned anyway.

Laurent Wauquiez, writing in the «Opinions» section, breaks down his assessment of the President of the Republic into three stages: manipulation, betrayal, and humiliation. Manipulation because «Emmanuel Macron, for his part, knowingly used our armed forces to fuel his political image. […] He used our soldiers as extras to highlight his own leading role.» Betrayal because of his promise to increase the defense budget, even though that will not happen. Humiliation, finally, because «he chose the harshness of public reproaches.».

This affair shows that the man who, as a candidate, was said to be nothing but a pushover—a flash in the pan—is far more cunning than he had appeared. His attitude toward figures like Trump and Putin has demonstrated this. It’s also worth noting that he doesn’t like criticism or opposition. Authoritarianism can be a scourge; true authority, a strength. Furthermore, the president’s inner circle warrants close scrutiny; Castaner added fuel to the controversy on Friday, explaining, «It was the general’s behavior that was unacceptable.» Finally, General Pierre de Villiers—whether or not he erred in his choice of words or his expectations for the military—emerges from the fray unemployed but glorious.

Write to the author: loris.musumeci@leregardlibre.com

Photo credit: Wikimedia CC 2.0