Overview

• Two retired French generals, André Coustou and Paul Pellizzari, have been struck off the second section reserve for violating the duty of reserve.
• The Ministry of Armed Forces confirmed the removals on April 23, 2025, with disciplinary decrees published in the Journal officiel.
• The generals had signed a 2021 tribune in Valeurs actuelles warning of France’s decline and suggesting potential military intervention, sparking political controversy.
• The duty of reserve prohibits serving and recallable officers from engaging in public political discourse, a principle reinforced by these sanctions.
• The 2021 tribune coincided with the 60th anniversary of the Algiers putsch, heightening sensitivities around military involvement in politics.