Army chief quits

The head of France's armed forces (chef d'etat majeur), Pierre de Villiers, has resigned over proposed cuts to the defence budget over the next 5 years. President Macron responded to the general's publicly expressed views by saying it was not the general's place to air his grievances in public.
With the government seeking cuts in all public spending the armed forces must bear their share, but France's military is heavily engaged overseas as well as dealing with the state of emergency here. Macron thinks it is the job of the Minister of Defence to make the case for the budget, in consultation with the generals and the treasury. A new chef has been appointed, 55 year old General Francois Lecointre, a veteran of many of French overseas missions, notably in Kosovo.

General Lecointre  in Mali 2013

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