French Gen. Fabien Mandon, Chief of the Defense Staff, created an uproar when he told French mayors, last week, that while France (so he claimed) has the economic and demographic power to defeat Moscow, it lacked the “spirit” in society to stand up to the menace. “If our country falters because it is not prepared to accept—let’s be honest—to lose its children, to suffer economically because defense production will take precedence, then we are at risk,” he added.
As a result of the uproar, French President Emmanuel Macron has backpedaled slightly from Mandon’s remarks, but hasn’t deviated from the warpath. He is set to announce a new national service plan for young people on Nov. 27. “We must really, at least for now, dispel any confusion that we are going to send our young people to Ukraine. That is not at all what this is about,” said Macron in an interview with French radio station RTL, reported France 24.
Macron is set to visit the Varces army base in southeastern France, from which he will announce a “new framework for serving in our armed forces” and respond to the “desire for engagement” among young people. “It is very clear that we must strengthen the army-nation pact,” he told RTL.
