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A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 20 July 2017
‘I’m your boss’: French military chief quits in Macron spat

deepened warnings about spokesman called him well-
Macron’s authoritarian suited for Macrons’ reform-
tendencies. It could also focused strategy. Macron’s
foreshadow similar chal- office sought to play down
lenges for Macron as he tensions over de Villiers de-
tries to reduce the deficit parture, even as French
and government spending defense commentators
and shake up the stagnant described their dispute
economy. as a serious crisis. While
Gen. Pierre De Villiers sub- Macron has promised to
mitted his resignation to boost defense spending to
Macron at a security coun- 2 percent of gross domes-
cil meeting Wednesday, tic product by 2025 as part
saying in a letter that he of France’s commitments
could no longer guarantee to NATO, his budget minis-
enough resources to en- ter last week announced
sure that French forces can a reduction of 870 million
meet growing threats. euros in military spend-
Macron replaced him with ing this year as part of an
Gen. Francois Lecointre, a overall expense squeeze.
career military officer, as De Villiers lashed out at the
In this July 14, 2017 photo, French Army Chief of Staff, General Pierre de Villiers, and French the new chief of staff of the spending curbs during a
President Emmanuel Macron stand in the command car during the annual Bastille Day military armed forces, replacing closed-door parliamentary
parade on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris. France’s military chief has quit over a dispute Gen. Pierre de Villiers. commission meeting, ac-
with Macron over defense spending, in a new challenge to Macron’s administration and his Lecointre served in Sara- cording to leaked reports.
economic reforms. jevo during the Yugosla- Without naming him di-
(Etienne Laurent/Pool Photo via AP) via wars in the 1990s, in rectly, Macron upbraided
By ANGELA CHARLTON cron made it clear that he over budget cuts — and Rwanda in the 1990s and de Villiers, saying to military
Associated Press will brook little dissent from was quickly replaced by a recently led the EU military officials: “It is not dignified
PARIS (AP) — Let there be subordinates in a standoff general seen as more “Ma- training mission in Mali to to air certain debates in
no doubt who is in charge that climaxed Wednes- cron-friendly.” help fight Islamic extrem- the public sphere. I made
of France. day when the disgruntled The unusual upheaval rat- ists, according to the gov- commitments (to budget
President Emmanuel Ma- French military chief quit tled the French military and ernment. The government cuts). I am your boss.”q

EU closer to sanctions on Poland over changes in judiciary

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA dom, equality, democra-
Associated Press cy!”
WARSAW, Poland (AP) They urged President An-
— The European Union is drzej Duda to veto the draft
coming closer to imposing legislation.
sanctions on Poland for the It was the latest in a string of
government’s controversial conflicts that has exposed
attempt to take control of the deepening political di-
the judiciary, a senior EU of- vide in Poland since Law
ficial warned Wednesday, and Justice won power in
as new street protests and 2015. The proposed bill calls
heated debate erupted in for the immediate dismissal
the Polish parliament. of the current Supreme
The ruling conservative and Court judges, except those
populist Law and Justice chosen by the justice minis-
Party had been rushing to ter. It would give the justice
get parliament’s approval minister the power to ap-
for a contentious draft law point the key court’s judg-
that would reorganize the es. In a proposed amend-
nation’s highest court. ment, the Law and Justice
But it has had to slow down has switched those powers
after vehement objection to the president.
from the opposition, alarm The ruling party, led by
from the EU and mass Jaroslaw Kaczynski, insists
peaceful protests against Thousands of anti-government protesters hold lit candles in front of the Supreme Court in a that its reforms will intro-
continuation of protest in Warsaw, Poland. The European Union is coming closer to imposing
the measure. sanctions on Poland for the government’s controversial attempt to take control of the judiciary, a duce “good change” ex-
After a tense debate in senior EU official warned Wednesday. pected by the people who
parliament, lawmakers on (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) voted them in.
Wednesday voted over- It also argues that the ju-
whelmingly to send the Opposition legislators have dence and destroys the protests in Warsaw and diciary still works along
draft bill on the Supreme proposed 1,300 amend- democratic principle of the other cities in defense of communist-era principles
Court for more work by ments to the draft, which separation of the judiciary democracy and judicial in- and needs radical reforms
a special parliamentary they say violates the consti- from the executive branch. dependence, chanting and new people to be
commission. tution, kills judicial indepen- Crowds have held street “Free courts!” and “Free- efficient.q