One passage, a handful of words, is enough to make the heart tremble France. When General Fabien Mandon awaken the possibility”lose your children” in future clashes with Russiamany suddenly felt a chill: not from the trenches, but one that entered the homes, the families, the most intimate thoughts of a nation that believed it was impossible to talk about blood sacrifice any more.
The reference appeared at the Congress of Mayors, where the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces painted a gloomy picture of the matter Russian Ambitions and from Europe’s fragility in front of a world that moves again according to block logic. In his speech, supported by broader reflections on deterrence and the need to strengthen the national defense apparatus, Mandon argued that France must reinvent “the fortitude to suffer to protect who we areAnd he spoke of a country at risk if it is not prepared for possible sacrifices, both human and economic, if military production becomes a priority again.
The context is increasing strategic pressure. In the analysis presented to the mayors, the general insisted that Russia considers the European Union and NATO countries as existential enemies and is preparing for confrontation at the end of the decade. This was unusual language in French public life, and all the more surprising because it was addressed to an institutional but civil society, which did not expect such candor from military leaders.
The effect is felt immediately. In Parliament and the media, Mandon’s words sparked a wave of angry reactions. The radical left denounced “war rhetoric” and warned that a soldier cannot anticipate war scenarios without a political mandate; Nationalist right-wing groups accused the general of excessive alarmism and interventionism. Many of the mayors in attendance also admitted they were disturbed, speaking of a passage that shifted public discourse from the issue of defense to the issue of war deaths, a particularly sensitive area for a country marked by the memory of the First and Second World Wars.
“I would like to express my complete disagreement with the TNI Chief of Staff’s speech – the leader of La France Insoumise immediately wrote in X, Jean-Luc Melenchon – it was not in his power to invite France to prepare for a war that no one had yet decided on“. Also for Fabien Rousselleader of the Communist Party, the general’s answer was “NO!“.”Yes for national defense – he wrote X – but not with the unbearable discourse of war“. Even on the far right, the rejection is total:”General Mandon has no legitimacy“talking like this, criticized the vice president of Rassemblement National, Sebastien Chenuadding that “if the President of the Republic asked for it, that would be even more sensational“.
government spokesperson, Maud Bregeontake quick action to cool the storm. He explained that what the general meant was The French army is already on dutyyoung people between 18 and 27 years old who work in various foreign theaters and, in some cases, have paid for their commitment with their lives. He then wanted to make his point: “Our children will not fight and die in UkraineA clear clarification, aimed at stopping readings of general mobilization, and reminding us that any decision to send troops to a war zone rests with the government and Parliament.
But the clashes show deep tensions. On the one hand, the military high command called for awareness of the gravity of the historical moment and asked France to prepare itself psychologically. On the other hand, civil society seems to reject the idea that war could return to European territory. This split comes as France has increased its inequality defense spendinglaunched a budget that surpassed previous years’ budgets and aimed at strengthening industrial capabilities, weapons and means of deterrence.
The question still looming is one that has been circulating in European capitals for months: to what extent should we prepare for extreme scenarios? How to reconcile the language of assertiveness with the sensitivity of public opinion that is not
do they want to hear about the war? And where does France stand today, between the obligation to defend Europe and the fear shared by many citizens that history will again demand sacrifices that are considered outdated?
