Changes in High Military Places
France is beginning to prepare for changes in its top military brass in advance of next year’s presidential elections.
A game of musical chairs has begun in the French military as senior officers worry that the country’s EUR33 billion ($40 billion) military budget could be seriously trimmed following next year’s presidential ballot. The game revolves around the position of the armed forces chief of staff, Henri Bentegeat, who is expected to stand down six months ahead of schedule because of a problem of timing. If France’s European partners vote for Bentegeat - he is the lone candidate - he will succeed Italian general Mosca Moschini in April, 2007 as chairman of the European Union’s Military Committee. However, the man being tipped to take over from Benteageat, the current personal chief-of-staff to president Jacques Chirac, general Jean-Louis Georgelin, could hardly be expected to step into the job just weeks before the presidential election, due in May. As a result, Georgelin could be appointed armed forces chief-of-staff in November.
The big question concerns who will succeed Georgelin at the Elysee Palace. He fulfils a key post since the French president is officially the chief of the French military. Up until recently, the person in pole position for the job appeared to be Air Force general Stephane Abrial, presently the commander of air defense and air operations. Abrial served as head of the prime minister’s military staff until 2005.
But it now appears possible he could succeed gen. Richard Wolsztynski as the French air force chief-of-staff, which means another candidate for the plum job of chief-of-staff to the president will need to be found. Two names are presently being cited. The first army general Thierry Cambournac, chief of the general staff’s planning, programs and assessment division. The second is admiral Pierrick Blairon, chief of staff to the director of the French foreign intelligence agency DGSE.
A game of musical chairs has begun in the French military as senior officers worry that the country’s EUR33 billion ($40 billion) military budget could be seriously trimmed following next year’s presidential ballot. The game revolves around the position of the armed forces chief of staff, Henri Bentegeat, who is expected to stand down six months ahead of schedule because of a problem of timing. If France’s European partners vote for Bentegeat - he is the lone candidate - he will succeed Italian general Mosca Moschini in April, 2007 as chairman of the European Union’s Military Committee. However, the man being tipped to take over from Benteageat, the current personal chief-of-staff to president Jacques Chirac, general Jean-Louis Georgelin, could hardly be expected to step into the job just weeks before the presidential election, due in May. As a result, Georgelin could be appointed armed forces chief-of-staff in November.
The big question concerns who will succeed Georgelin at the Elysee Palace. He fulfils a key post since the French president is officially the chief of the French military. Up until recently, the person in pole position for the job appeared to be Air Force general Stephane Abrial, presently the commander of air defense and air operations. Abrial served as head of the prime minister’s military staff until 2005.
But it now appears possible he could succeed gen. Richard Wolsztynski as the French air force chief-of-staff, which means another candidate for the plum job of chief-of-staff to the president will need to be found. Two names are presently being cited. The first army general Thierry Cambournac, chief of the general staff’s planning, programs and assessment division. The second is admiral Pierrick Blairon, chief of staff to the director of the French foreign intelligence agency DGSE.
posted by Marko at 4/20/2006 06:05:00 AM
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