In the home defence, Emmanuel Macron has made it the great household in just three months. Exit, the former minister of Defence Jean-Yves Le Drian and his three closest subordinates (the chief of staff of the army, general Pierre de Villiers ; the delegate general for armaments, Laurent Collet-Billon ; and, finally, his cabinet director, Cédric Lewandowski), who have been doing it for five years, the rain and the good weather in the defense. If these four came from very different backgrounds and would never have gone on holiday together, they have worked hand in hand in the interest of the armed forces and the defence community.
Of course, this was four strong characters always ready to fight to defend the Great Mute in the face of the guerrilla continual Bercy, which considers the ministry of the Armed forces as the variable fit perfect in the general budget. Of the “big mouths” who would have liked very much to Michel Audiard, the very famous writer of the “Crooks in clover”. And from time to time, the minister of the Economy (Emmanuel Macron) came from elsewhere to give a helping hand to the “crooks in clover” to bend Bercy, or even Matignon. A temperate climate gave way to a period of glaciation.
Jean-Yves Le Drian sent to the Quai d’orsay
Maybe this was too much – a state within a State – for the new president of the Republic, who “loves the sense of duty, the meaning of the reservation”. He began by dismissing Jean-Yves Le Drian, tried maybe too popular at the Hotel de Brienne. In spite of his desire to remain at the defence, one of the few heavyweights of the previous government, which was, however, agreed with Emmanuel Macron – a rallying decisive – is sent to the Quai d’orsay. He has shown up here very discreet on matters related to the department of the army. The only exception, he paid tribute to general Pierre de Villiers, shortly before the resignation of the latter.
“This is a great soldier, a great integrity, of great intelligence,” said Jean-Yves Le Drian in an interview to CNews, referring to his relations with the chief of staff of the armed forces when he was Defence. “We had moments of joy, of passion, I have a lot of respect for general de Villiers,” said the current minister of foreign Affairs.
With the appointment of Jean-Yves Le Drian to foreign Affairs, it is the beginning of the end of the Fantastic four. The transfer of the Defence minister at the Quai d’orsay has consistently sounded the departure of Cedric Lewandowski, very feared in the circles of the defense and is regarded as the vice-minister… if not more. Very little desired by the Macronistes, it is eventually returned to EDF, where he was appointed boss of the management Innovation, Strategy and Programming. For his part, Laurent Collet-Billon, has believed he could remain at the head of the general directorate for armament (DGA) that he finally left June 30 after nine years of capture – a record ! -. His successor has not been appointed, although the DGA is expected to find savings of € 850 million on the program 146 to five months of the end of the year.
Finally, general Pierre de Villiers has been forced to resign after a crop very inelegant, Emmanuel Macron in front of hundreds of guests at the Hotel de Brienne. The chief of staff of the armed forces, trapped by leaks, did not deserve such a vexation to the public. He who has always advocated, as of October 2014, his troops on-demand theaters of operations. It had then not been executed by François Hollande. But times have changed, France has moved from a chair to a normal to a president jupiter.
“We pay the price of blood. We expect a legitimate solidarity for the financial costs”, had already warned in October 2014, general Pierre de Villiers in front of the defense commission of the national Assembly. “There is no fat in our armed forces. It attacks the muscle, while the security situation is deteriorating ! It is my duty to tell you.”
