>”It’s shocking,” said Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice and a member of the center-right Horizons party, which is part of Macron’s ruling coalition. “Is it the role of the chief of staff of the army to worry the country in this way? It’s an act of weakness,” he told CNews.
Weakness is when you acknowledge that a war will get people killed
RaidBrimnes on
!ping EUROPE&FRANCE
“We have all the knowledge, economic and demographic strength to deter Moscow’s regime. What we lack, and where you have a major role, is the strength of the soul to accept being hurt to protect what we are”, claimed General Fabien Mandon on Tuesday. “If our country bends because we are not ready to lose our children, because we have to tell things as they are, to suffer economically because the priorities will go to the defense industry, then we are at risk”, he concluded, calling on to the mayors to “speak about it”.
The remarks by France’s top general have caused an intense political debate over the country’s war readiness, following similar warnings and declarations by Emmanuel Macron and his government over the rising possibility of a large-scale conflict that would involve France, mainly pointing at Russia’s escalating threats against NATO and EU allies.
Major political figures on the left and the right have denounced the speech. Louis Aliot, deputy leader of the National Rally, declared that “not many French people are ready to die for Ukraine”. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France insoumise, accused Gen Mandon of “anticipating sacrifices that would be the result of our diplomatic failures, upon which the public would not have been consulted.”
He was publicly supported by Armies Minister Catherine Vautrin, who said Gen Fabien Mandon was “legitimate in expressing his opinion on the current threats” and said the French government’s responsibility was to “avoid any confrontation but prepare for it, and strengthen the spirit of defense, this moral force without which no nation can withstand adversity.”
Gen Fabien Mandon was one of several European military officials who warned in October 2025 that the EU should prepare for a “frontal shock” in 3-4 years against Russian forces “who could be tempted to extend warfare on our continent”. Under Emmanuel Macron’s tenure, France doubled its military spending objectives, from €198 billion in 2019-2023 to €400 billion in 2024-2030.
fantasmadecallao on
>”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 is so right. It’s black pilling how utterly unprepared and unequipped Europe and her vast and expensive institutions are when it comes to handling any of the serious issues. Whether its pensions or putin, everyone would rather mire in inaction than acknowledge basic reality. I’m not even talking about doing anything, just mentally acknowledging it.
WAGRAMWAGRAM on
I disagree with this framing that war is bad for the economy, look at how Russia is using war to prop up its rural areas and send under-employed people the factory (are these the good blue-collar jobs that the far-right sear will come back?). Yes it decreases consomption, which is what out political system rewards but for poor mismanaged countries, war is also the opportunity to leave your shitty region, makes tons of cash and come back to find the local oligarch finally renovated the roads
4 Comments
>”It’s shocking,” said Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice and a member of the center-right Horizons party, which is part of Macron’s ruling coalition. “Is it the role of the chief of staff of the army to worry the country in this way? It’s an act of weakness,” he told CNews.
Weakness is when you acknowledge that a war will get people killed
!ping EUROPE&FRANCE
“We have all the knowledge, economic and demographic strength to deter Moscow’s regime. What we lack, and where you have a major role, is the strength of the soul to accept being hurt to protect what we are”, claimed General Fabien Mandon on Tuesday. “If our country bends because we are not ready to lose our children, because we have to tell things as they are, to suffer economically because the priorities will go to the defense industry, then we are at risk”, he concluded, calling on to the mayors to “speak about it”.
The remarks by France’s top general have caused an intense political debate over the country’s war readiness, following similar warnings and declarations by Emmanuel Macron and his government over the rising possibility of a large-scale conflict that would involve France, mainly pointing at Russia’s escalating threats against NATO and EU allies.
Major political figures on the left and the right have denounced the speech. Louis Aliot, deputy leader of the National Rally, declared that “not many French people are ready to die for Ukraine”. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France insoumise, accused Gen Mandon of “anticipating sacrifices that would be the result of our diplomatic failures, upon which the public would not have been consulted.”
He was publicly supported by Armies Minister Catherine Vautrin, who said Gen Fabien Mandon was “legitimate in expressing his opinion on the current threats” and said the French government’s responsibility was to “avoid any confrontation but prepare for it, and strengthen the spirit of defense, this moral force without which no nation can withstand adversity.”
Gen Fabien Mandon was one of several European military officials who warned in October 2025 that the EU should prepare for a “frontal shock” in 3-4 years against Russian forces “who could be tempted to extend warfare on our continent”. Under Emmanuel Macron’s tenure, France doubled its military spending objectives, from €198 billion in 2019-2023 to €400 billion in 2024-2030.
>”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 is so right. It’s black pilling how utterly unprepared and unequipped Europe and her vast and expensive institutions are when it comes to handling any of the serious issues. Whether its pensions or putin, everyone would rather mire in inaction than acknowledge basic reality. I’m not even talking about doing anything, just mentally acknowledging it.
I disagree with this framing that war is bad for the economy, look at how Russia is using war to prop up its rural areas and send under-employed people the factory (are these the good blue-collar jobs that the far-right sear will come back?). Yes it decreases consomption, which is what out political system rewards but for poor mismanaged countries, war is also the opportunity to leave your shitty region, makes tons of cash and come back to find the local oligarch finally renovated the roads