French Armed Forces Chief Quits After Clash with Emmanuel Macron Over Budget Cuts

The head of the French armed forces, General Pierre de Villiers, has quit his post after publicly clashing with Emmanuel Macron over proposed budget cuts, according to the Independent.

In a statement from his office, Gen de Villiers said he had sought to maintain a French defence force able to do an increasingly difficult job within the financial constraints imposed on it.

"In the current circumstances I see myself as no longer able to guarantee the robust defence force I believe is necessary to guarantee the protection of France and the French people, today and tomorrow, and to sustain the aims of our country," he said.

He added that as a result he had tendered his resignation to Macron and that it had been accepted by the new President.

It came days after Mr Macron watched a show of France's military force alongside Donald Trump in a grand parade marking Bastille Day.

The state visit, which saw the two presidents mark the centenary of the US' intervention in the First World War, acted as a temporary distraction from dissatisfaction within the defence ministry.

There was widespread speculation that Gen de Villiers could step down in protest ahead of a formal meeting scheduled on Friday with Mr Macron, who is proposing EUR 850m (£750m) worth of military cuts.

It is part of the French President's programme aiming to achieve EUR 60bn (53bn) of savings over five years - while upholding an election pledge to cut taxes.

Last week, his government announced plans to cut the defence budget for 2017 to bring France's deficit below the EU limit of 3 per cent GDP.

Gen de Villiers was said to have told a parliamentary committee he would not let the government "f*** with" him on spending cuts.

"I won't let myself be f...