The spokesperson for Florence Parly recalled on Twitter the “operational and confidentiality imperatives” inherent in each visit by a political figure to the troops engaged.
The Great Mute emerges from the silence. In a series of messages posted on Twitter, the spokesperson for the Ministry of the Armed Forces, Hervé Grandjean, wanted to come back to the “reactions“Aroused by”Eric Zemmour’s visit to our soldiers in Abidjan “, to precise “in which framework this visit was authorized“. “Politicians can visit military units, if they so request and while respecting operational and confidentiality requirements. It is a very common and legitimate republican practice“, First recalls the senior official.
Among the many recommendations that govern each trip of this type, the Hôtel de Brienne systematically demands “to carry out these visits with the utmost discretion“, to know : “no media, no photos for public use, no social media“. A code of conduct judged “essential” for “preserve the neutrality of the armed forces, and avoid any political instrumentalisation“. “This moral commitment that we ask of the presidential candidates was not kept today by a candidate. We regret it», Finally laments the engineer by training.
Macron and Castex forced to cancel visits because of fifth wave
In question, the publication by the nationalist candidate, on his account Twitter, of several photos where he appears in the middle of several soldiers, whose faces he systematically took care to hide. “I am honored to have visited the logistics base of Operation Barkhane today, in Côte d’Ivoire“, He wrote in particular in a first message. Before detailing, in another, his desire to “increase and modernize resources“From the army,”give our defense the means to shine“, and of “regain the independence of our military resources“.
Also used to visiting French troops engaged in external theaters during the Christmas period, Emmanuel Macron was forced to give up his traditional trip to Mali this year, because of the epidemic resumption. The president, who had already had to cancel due to Covid-19 in the winter of 2020, went to Niamey (Niger) in 2017, then to N’Djamena (Chad) in 2018, and finally to Abidjan (Côte d ‘Ivoire) in 2019. Prime Minister Jean Castex, who had planned to spend the New Year with soldiers in Jordan, also had to give up.