‘I’m your boss’: French military chief quits in Macron spat

Let there be no doubt who is in charge of France.

President Emmanuel Macron made it clear that he will brook little dissent from subordinates in a standoff that climaxed Wednesday when the disgruntled French military chief quit over budget cuts — and was quickly replaced by a general seen as more “Macron-friendly.”

The unusual upheaval rattled the French military and deepened warnings about Macron’s authoritarian tendencies. It could also foreshadow similar challenges for Macron as he tries to reduce the deficit and government spending and shake up the stagnant economy.

Gen. Pierre De Villiers submitted his resignation to Macron at a security council meeting Wednesday, saying in a letter that he could no longer guarantee enough resources to ensure that French forces can meet growing threats.

Macron replaced him with Gen. Francois Lecointre, a career military officer, as the new chief of staff of the armed forces, replacing Gen. Pierre de Villiers.

Read the whole story from The Washington Post.

Featured image courtesy of AP