Chief of the Defence Staff of the French Army General Pierre de Villiers arriving for an annual Franco-German Summit at the Elysee Palace in Paris on July 13, 2017. AFP / Patrick Kovarik
PARIS: France's military chief has quit in a dispute with President Emmanuel Macron over budget cuts, a new challenge to Macron's administration and his economic reforms.
The office of Gen. Pierre de Villiers, chief of staff of the armed forces, said he submitted his resignation to Macron at a security council meeting Wednesday. Macron's office did not immediately comment.
De Villiers lashed out at new spending curbs during a closed-door parliamentary commission meeting last week, according to leaked reports.
Macron then publicly upbraided him, saying, "it is not dignified to air certain debates in the public sphere. I made commitments (to budget cuts). I am your boss."
Macron has promised to boost defense spending to 2 percent of GDP by 2025 as part of France's commitments to NATO, but his budget minister last week announced limits on this year's military expenses.
