It is a tradition established by Jacques Chirac. Every day before July 14, the soldiers who will parade on the Champs-Elysées, but also the armaments manufacturers, the defense attachés of the embassies, etc., are invited to the garden party of the Hôtel de Brienne, headquarters of the Ministry of the Armed Forces, rue Saint-Dominique in the 7th arrondissement of Paris.
This July 13, 2017, on the shaded lawns, the small crowd in uniforms, summer suits and elegant dresses, glass of champagne in hand, awaits the arrival of the newly elected president - and supreme chief of the armies -, Emmanuel Macron. On the steps, surrounded by the most senior officers, General Pierre de Villiers, soon to be 61, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces (CEMA), is preparing to welcome him. This rather "traditional" officer (brother of Philippe, the sovereignist of Puy-du-Fou) was appointed three years earlier by François Hollande, and has just been extended to his post by his successor. He doesn't know he's going to watch his execution live.
"We were curious about the first speech to Macron's soldiers," testifies an officer present at the reception. His first steps at the Elysee Palace had been appreciated by the military, his way of restoring the authority of the Head of State ... but it remained to be seen what sauce we were going to be eaten by this dashing president of 39 years who did not not done his military service (Editor's note: deleted since 1997) ”. What sauce? The hiatus, in the midst of political upheaval, is the defense budget that the funders of the new team in power want to cut by nearly a billion euros. The candidate Macron had nevertheless promised, in these times of terrorist attacks and Russian strategic threat, to increase the defense effort.
"I won't let myself be fucked like that!"
The first act of the play was played the day before, in the president's office at the Elysee Palace. Pierre de Villiers, a cavalier who led his armored vehicles in Kosovo (1999) and commanded international coalition troops in Afghanistan (2006), familiar with politicians for having headed François Fillon's military cabinet in Matignon (2008-2010), participates with Florence Parly, just appointed Minister of the Armed Forces, on the Defense Council which precedes the Council of Ministers every Wednesday.
The meeting is tense, the billions are melting. Ignoring custom, the general apostrophes the Head of State, as Nathalie Guibert reports in her book "Qui c'est le chef?" "(Robert Laffont, 2018):" I am going to the National Assembly's defense committee just now, what will I say about the commitments you made during the campaign and that you confirmed in front of the troops? in Gao, Mali, on May 19? Opposite, the prince's advisers - "the carpet fighters", as Villiers calls them - rage. "I will make my arbitration public tomorrow," says Emmanuel Macron.
After the meeting, the CEMA goes to the Palais-Bourbon, brooding his frustration. Before the full commission, he explains the situation, details the Opex (external operations) that will have to be withdrawn, the new equipment crucial for the armies which will have to be given up if Bercy imposes its 850 million euros cut. And the rider thundering in front of the dumbfounded deputies: "I won't let myself be fucked like that!" »Atmosphere…
"I am your leader"
The next day, at the Hôtel de Brienne, the president appears, accompanied by his wife Brigitte, considered "very classy" by the audience. The speech is classic, grateful to the military - war wounded appear in the pit - ministers and officials on the steps nod their chin. Suddenly the tone changes. Evoking, the almost shuddering tone, the budget contests that have leaked in recent days, Emmanuel Macron scolds: "It is not worthy to display these debates in the public square". "I am your leader," he says, arguing that he does not need "any pressure" to keep his commitments.
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The soldiers are blown away. Worse than a public "reframing", it is a terrible humiliation inflicted on the chief in front of his subordinates and all the gratin of the defense. A "moral fault" of Macron, some will say; a "youthful error of command", others will qualify. Even today, this episode remains "taboo" at the Palace, confides a relative of the president. Pierre de Villiers, who has thought of turning on his heels immediately, follows the reception with an absent-minded air, replies in monosyllables to those who press him. In the evening, Florence Parly calls the CEMA. Will he be present at the July 14 ceremony of which Donald Trump is the guest of honor?
It is a very pale general, with a mechanical gesture after a sleepless night, who welcomes the President of the Republic under the Arc de Triomphe, then walks along the Champs-Elysées aboard the command-car, without loosening his lips. . "The bond of trust was broken," said Villiers, who has already decided to leave. "He greeted the troops at length, like a farewell to arms," recalls a relative.
A guard of honor that makes the Elysée tick
On the morning of July 19, for the first time in the history of the Fifth Republic, the Chief of Defense Staff went to the Presidency to submit his resignation. The same afternoon, leaving forever his office at Balard HQ (Paris XVth), he was applauded in front of the cameras by a guard of honor of a thousand soldiers and civilians, making the Elysee tick. “I returned home, at midnight I was no longer CEMA, I was no longer in command of 260,000 people; it was extremely brutal, he confided to the Parisian - Today in France a year later. The next morning, with my wife, we packed the boxes in the apartment at the Ecole Militaire and left for our house in Vendée. There, I started to think about what I was going to do… ”
His departure with panache gave General de Villiers unexpected popularity. As proof, the two books he has since written in quick succession, “Servir” - which he sent to Emmanuel Macron - and “What is a chef? », Published in 2018 by Fayard, were bestsellers. At the same time, the former chief of staff has set up his consulting company, gives lectures on authority or crisis management to the management of various companies.
Is he tempted by politics, he whose name flourished on the lips during the yellow vests crisis? "I am a soldier," he once replied to our newspaper. And I am a loyal person. It may be surprising, but it still exists, ”he added to point out that he is not the man to embark on an adventure…
A five-year crisis period in 6 episodes
1. The day Macron disowned General de Villiers
2. The day Macron was confronted with the Benalla affair
3. The day Macron learned of Nicolas Hulot's resignation
4. The day when Macron feared that the yellow vests would invade the Elysee
5. The day Macron saw Notre-Dame burn
6. The day Macron confined the country
