“I do not consider it honorable to put certain debates on public display,” Mr. Macron had said. The military is being asked to shoulder about 20 percent of the total anticipated cuts to the French budget this year, which would mean a reduction of 850 million euros, about $979 million, in military spending. Advertisement Continue reading the main storyIt also appeared at odds with Mr. Macron’s commitment to increase military spending to 2 percent of G.D.P. Mr. Macron has said that this year’s proposed cuts are temporary and that he plans to increase spending in 2018. Mr. Macron replaced General de Villiers with another career officer, Gen. François Lecointre, who has served in the former Yugoslavia and in Rwanda.

Source: New York Times July 19, 2017 19:18 UTC