As is tradition, on the eve of July 14, President Emmanuel Macron addressed the Armed Forces. Before a speech eagerly awaited Tuesday noon, the head of state delivered a speech without concrete announcement in front of a narrow audience of 500 soldiers.
"Thank you and well done. Here is in essence the solemn message he wanted to send in the gardens of the Hôtel de Brienne, in the absence of Prime Minister Jean Castex, but with Brigitte Macron and Olivier Véran.
" Count on me "
Unsurprisingly, Emmanuel Macron signed up for the Covid-19. The French leader, heckled in his early days by the corporation, has thus insisted on the commitment of the Armies in recent months around the fight against the Covid-19 with the operation "Resilience". The new coronavirus has obviously been the subject of much discussion. Because in the preamble, Emmanuel Macron wanted to congratulate the carers, "these men and women in white coats who continue to fight".
"Life resumes its course but it is necessary to remain vigilant", added the president while the fear of a second wave resurfaces and that the debate mounts around the wearing of the compulsory mask in closed places. "Count on me, I will stay the course," he also slipped.
"Stay in control of your destiny"
His speech then focused on geopolitical issues. With in mind the French presence in the Sahel via Operation Barkhane, soon to be supported by the European force Takuba. "At the end of the year I will have to make decisions in this theater of operations," he said. On the burning issue of Libya, he insisted on the importance of its "stabilization" and called for the "immediate resumption of dialogue with a view to a cease-fire".
More generally, Emmanuel Macron repeated his desire for a Europe of defense "to remain in control of its destiny", especially in view of the turbulence in the Mediterranean area.
Accompanied by his wife Brigitte, the president is to meet privately in the evening with the families of soldiers who died during the year, as well as injured soldiers and their families. Among the reduced number of guests will be representatives of military units who will take part in the ceremony organized this year on Place de la Concorde on Tuesday morning, on the occasion of the national holiday, in place of the traditional parade on the Champs-Elysées .
