Analyst reacts to French military chief's resignation French leader Emmanuel Macron faced the biggest crisis of his young presidency on Wednesday following the resignation of the head of the armed forces, whom he had rebuked for criticising defence spending cuts. General Pierre De Villiers will be replaced by General Francois Lecointre, currently the top military adviser to the prime minister. The row has provoked a debate about whether Macron had humiliated his military chief or whether he had no choice but to exert his authority just two months into his presidency. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES from an analyst