PNN – Controversial statements by a high-ranking French military official about the need for France to prepare for war and even prepare to “lose its children” have created panic in French society, raising the question of whether the country is preparing for a military confrontation.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, Fabien Mandon, Chief of Staff of the French Army, said in his speech at the French Congress of Mayors last Tuesday: It is essential that the country regains “the strength of its spirit to accept suffering in order to protect its identity” and “the readiness to accept the loss of our children.”
In addition to creating fear in society, these statements drew criticism from several political figures, who accused this high-ranking military official of “warmongering.”
According to the Canadian news website La Presse, French President Emmanuel Macron, in a press conference at the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, expressed his full confidence in the army chief of staff, stating that his statements had been “distorted” to “create fear.”
Stressing the need for France to be prepared to face a possible war, he said: France must remain a strong nation, with a strong army, and also with the capacity for collective renewal. He called for the French people to be aware of geopolitical dangers, along with “unity.”
General Mandon also appeared in an interview with France 5 yesterday and said: I understand how worried some people were.
He called the purpose of these remarks “to increase awareness and preparedness,” adding: The situation is rapidly deteriorating, and I thought it was important to share this observation of the situation with the mayors.
He concluded: Furthermore, the reactions show that this is something that perhaps our people have not sufficiently understood.
Referring to the “National Strategic Review 2025,” General Mandon claimed: The Russian threat analysis is something that all of our allies in Europe share and is outlined in this document.
According to the document, France should “prepare for the possibility of a major and intense conflict in Europe’s neighborhood by 2027-2030, simultaneously with a massive increase in hybrid attacks on its territory.”
The senior military officer added: I have great confidence in my country and our armed forces, who are ready and know how to protect France.
The Chief of Staff of the French Army, who gave a speech at the country’s Congress of Mayors last Tuesday and sparked a wave of political reactions, said: We have all the knowledge, economic power and population to deter [the] Moscow regime (…). What we lack, and this is where you have a major role, is the spiritual strength to accept that we must suffer to protect what we are.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of this party, also wrote on the social network X: I want to express my complete opposition to the words of the army chief of staff. He has no right to call on mayors or anyone else to prepare for a war that no one has decided on.
Fabien Roussel, First Secretary of the French Communist Party, also wrote: No! Aren’t 51,000 memorials to the dead in our cities enough? Yes to national defense, but no to warmongering rhetoric!
On the other hand, Sébastien Chenu, vice-president of the far-right National Rally party, said on the LCL news channel: General Mandon does not have the “legitimacy” to make such statements and it was “a mistake.”
French government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon said on Friday, in an attempt to quell the controversy surrounding Mandon’s comments: Our children will not go to fight and die in Ukraine.
He explained the remarks of the French army chief of staff as follows: Many neighbors in Europe are restoring military service. This is one of the elements that must be observed in our country, as the government prepares to announce voluntary military service.
In recent months, incidents such as drone flights over air bases in the Netherlands, as well as in Belgium, Denmark, and Germany, have led some European officials to speak of a Russian hybrid war against Europe, but the Kremlin has denied any involvement in these incidents.
Defense ministers from 10 European Union member states have decided to create an anti-drone shield, and some countries have implemented special defensive measures against drones.