French Chief of Staff General Fabien Mandon warned French mayors of the need to prepare for human and economic losses in a potential conflict with Russia. His remarks, made on November 19, 2025, have elicited mixed political reactions. The Armed Forces Minister defends his legitimacy, while the opposition denounces a warmongering tone.
On November 19, 2025, at the Congress of Mayors of France, General Fabien Mandon, Chief of Staff of the French Armed Forces, issued a solemn warning. 'If our country falters because it is not ready to accept losing its children, to suffer economically because priorities will go to defense production, then we are at risk,' he stated. He referenced a 2030 horizon and urged soldiers to be ready in 'three or four years' against a Russia that, he said, is preparing.
This speech fits into a tense European context. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius indicated that Europeans might have experienced their 'last summer of peace.' In October, before French parliamentarians, Mandon had already stated that the army must be prepared for a shock in three to four years, as Russia may be tempted to extend the war to the continent.
Reactions were swift. Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin defended Mandon on X: 'His remarks, taken out of context for political purposes, reflect the military language of a leader who knows every day that young soldiers risk their lives for the Nation.' She emphasized the importance of sensitizing mayors to the current context to avoid any confrontation while strengthening the defense spirit.
On the left, the opposition sharply criticized. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France Insoumise, expressed 'total disagreement': 'It is not his place to invite mayors or anyone to war preparations decided by no one.' Fabien Roussel, head of the French Communist Party, thundered: 'It is NO! 51,000 war memorials in our communes, is that not enough? Yes to national defense but no to unbearable warmongering speeches!'
These statements highlight divisions over military preparedness in France amid current geopolitical tensions.
