French military chief quits over Macron spat

French leader Emmanuel Macron faced the biggest crisis of his young presidency yesterday following the resignation of the head of the armed forces, whom he had rebuked for criticising defence spending cuts.

The row between Macron and General Pierre De Villiers blew up last week when the chief of staff told a parliamentary committee he would not allow the armed forces to be "screwed" by the government's plans to slash 850 million euros ($980 million) from this year's budget.

Macron, 39, slapped down the 60-year-old, five-star general, telling army top brass at their annual summer party "I am the boss" and that he deeply regretted that the budget dispute had been dragged into the "public sphere".

In a newspaper interview at the weekend, Macron added that if there was a difference of opinion, "it is the chief of the defence staff who will change his position".

De Villiers, who had been in the job for three years, said he felt he had no choice but to stand down.

"I no longer feel able to ensure the sustainability of the model of the armed forces that I think is necessary to guarantee the protection of France and the French people," he said in a statement.

Macron named 55-year-old General Francois Lecointre, currently the top military adviser to the prime minister, as his replacement.

At a weekly cabinet meeting the president hailed de Villiers for his "remarkable service" and promised to hike the defence budget again in 2018, government spokesman Christophe Castaner said.

De Villiers is seen as one of the finest officers of his generation.