[War] France: Late to the Party

[Dan Garcia]

"France:  Late to the Party"
President Pierre Legrand, French Republic
August 3rd, 2014


(OOC:  Here's the post I said I was working on a while back.  :/  ;)  I don't know how much posting I'll be doing given real life goings on, but I'll try to keep it up.)

"And that's when the poor Major threw down his cell phone, and it practically shattered," laughed Pierre Legrand, elected President of the French Republic in his own right only a couple months before after a fierce battle against a Socialist opponent.  The Socialists had taken the opportunity provided by the war in Azerbaijan and the Acting President's support for heavy French involvement therein and ran with it, campaigning on a non-intervention platform.

There had been dire warnings of heavy casualties, and much discounting of the consequences of failing to act.  The world had gone on ahead, while the French polity spent the time fighting with itself.  However, despite the vague pro-peace sentiment of the French public, several factors had led the Socialists to defeat, even if the fight had been close.

First was the embarrassment caused by the revelation that essentially the entire French Air Force, the Armée de l'Air, was out of action due to engine troubles in the Rafale.  This was a blow to French pride which many in the public had a hard time overlooking, making the Socialists' opposition to Legrand's efforts to have SNECMA reengineer the engines, particularly Legrand's waiving any and all labor rules preventing the fastest possible completion of the work.  In the end, nationalism won out over the Socialist opposition, and provided a new precedent in French labor law which may hold tidings of things to come.

Second was the fact that a war was on.  France's allies were fighting and dying in the Caucasus, and despite all of France's historical hemming and hawing when it came to it's commitments, there had generally been little doubt as to who's side France would be on when it came down to a matter of blood.  Embarrassed over the problems with the Rafale, it became increasingly easy for Legrand and the UMP to suggest involvement in the war was in part a matter of national honor.

Thirdly and finally, for all the fury and vehemence of the Socialists political attacks and moves, they were aimed at a man who could not be perturbed.  Pierre Théophile Legrand proved himself to be a fount of calm, someone against whom attacks warning of dire consequences and danger could not stick.  It had long been noted the calming effect his presence had on those in his presence.  This had first been noted publicly on a chaotic November day five years ago in the French Senate.  Here it came to the fore.

At a protest in front of SNECMA over the Rafale debacle, a brief appearance by Legrand had left the crowd cheering with national pride.

An appearance on a major news program left the audience cheering and the host smiling widely.

Appearance after appearance led to the same result.  Legrand did not exhort.  He did not speak as a firebrand.  But he spoke calmly if firmly, with a confident, gentle smile on his face.  He drained tension from those who listened to him and made them *listen*.  It had become clear to commentators that here was someone with a strange sort of charisma.

The political battles of the past weeks and months had worn on many in French politics, but not on Legrand.  Some leaders, such as theAmerican President, are men who deeply involve themselves in all matters.  Legrand was quite the opposite.  He was well informed and knowledgeable, but at the same time he delegated most of his responsibilities, leaving to himself only public appearances and the need to make the really big calls.  His Ministers or subordinates handled most of the work.

It was for this reason that at such a busy time that the President of France could be walking in the gardens of the Élysée Palace with his wife, telling an amusing anecdote about one of those subordinates.  Noele laughed, not so much at the inherent humor in the story, but Pierre told such stories so well.

"The poor man," Legrand finished, "looked for all the world as if he wanted to break something else.  But General Pepin gave the poor man a stern look, and the Major stomped off."

Noele shook her head.  Her husband had a way of finding the humor in any situation.  "So things are finally going well."

"They are going better," Legrand equivocated.  "Due to the Socialists and to technical problems, the re-engineering of the engines of the Armée de l'Air's Rafales has been delayed, but finally we'll be able to put some fighters into the air."

"Convenient now that things have more or less finished themselves up in Azerbaijan," Noele poked at her husband.  Legrand shrugged.

"The Iranians have not surrendered yet," he pointed out.  "Whenever Gautier gets here, I will probably be authorizing a deployment.  And maybe the Parliament will even act to fund it too."

The pair continued walking in peace.  The conversation had come to a natural resting point, and the husband and wide duo just continued walking, enjoying each other's company.  After about ten minutes, Gautier Tessier, Prime Minister of France and the man essentially in charge of coordinating the government according to Legrand's direction arrived.

"So, what have our friends in the CGA cooked up," Legrand said, a few minutes later in his office.  Gautier laid out some papers before him.

"Essentially they're proposing to effectively ship out a divisions worth of troops, complete with a headquarters," Gautier pointed to one sheet.  "The 1st Mechanized, 2nd Armored, 27th Mountain, 4th Airmobile, and 1st Logistics brigades would ship out.  The AZFOR commander would have full discretion in their deployment.  Also, as squadrons of Rafales come online, they too will be offered to AZFOR."

"The real question is whether they'll get there in time to do anything," Legrand offered.

"Well, it's always possible that there will be a need for peacekeepers or such.  Or Iran could continue to hold out and refuse to admit defeat.  Who knows," Gautier shrugged as he bent to sip from a cup of coffee he had brought with him.  Gautier's appearance was such that he always appeared to be harassed and overworked.  Legrand remembered making that observation when Gautier had returned from a vacation.  Then man could not look relaxed.

"Do you have the orders to sign," Legrand asked, seriously.  Gautier nodded, and placed them in front of the President of France.  Legrand picked up his pen, and for a moment examined it.  He carefully uncapped it, and signed the orders slowly.

"By the way," Legrand said, handing the paper back to Gautier, "are there any indications of the Iranians' willingness to surrender?"

"Nope," Gautier said, gathering things to leave.

"I'll have to tell Renaud to come up with some kind of statement to try to hurry them along, to go along with the news of our finally joining AZFOR," Legrand said, ordering things in his mind.

Gautier nodded, and the two exchanged a look before he left.  Legrand put on a warm smile for his friend, and Gautier nodded.


ACTIONS:

1)  The first re-engined Rafales are coming back into service, and as full squadrons become operational will be placed at the service of the commander of AZFOR.

2)  France will put a division sized force at the service of AZFOR.  They can be used as needed (e.g. rotating out other AZFOR units, augmenting the current force, or if they're too late for mopping up or peacekeeping operations;  whatever).

3)  France calls on Iran to admit defeat in Azerbaijan.