Farewell general...
(BRUSSELS2) The last one! It was the last meeting, last Wednesday, of General Henri Bentegeat, head of the EU Military Committee. “What we are doing here is not great. It's real and concrete he explained to the press. With one last satisfaction: having seen the Treaty of Lisbon signed, failing to see it enter into force. I did not believe it anymore " he added as an aside. And one regret no doubt: not having seen the start of the 24th ESDP mission/operation - on the training of the Somali security forces.
General Bentegeat during the press conference after his last military committee (© NGV)
The man would undoubtedly have a lot to tell: between his beginnings in the armored navy, operations in Africa, his stay at the Elysée - as Chief of Staff of François Mitterand then of Jacques Chirac -, and finally at the European Union...at key moments. To take only the European period, it was particularly fruitful: with two large-scale military operations (Eufor Tchad and Eunavfor Atalanta), one aborted (in Kivu Congo) and proven support for a civilian mission (Eumm Georgia) , important diplomatically... But from there to move on to his memoirs. It's not sure... Several times, we had the opportunity to meet, and I was able to measure all the interest he took in European "things", his desire to convince, without emphasis. But also his discretion, all military. Just as he could be prolific (within the limits of the exercise all the same) on his field, the military, just as much he remained very discreet on all the other subjects, the political in particular. Perhaps he will simply want to turn the page, to go "cultivate his garden", as he had entrusted to me, in his house on the peninsula of Guérande and watch his grandchildren grow up . " my real goodbyes - he explained to me -, it was three years ago, when I left my post as Chief of Staff "...
Farewell ceremony, in October 2006, as French Chief of Staff (Elysée)
Personally, I don't have a taste for ceremonies or ceremonial. But we can only regret that the departure of a Chief of Staff from the EU is taking place somewhat on the sly. Certainly there was a farewell ceremony by Javier Solana but very, very discreet. The High Representative thus hailed " the Chairman of the Military Committee, the exceptional soldier, above all the man and the friend. "" Henry and me - he added - we belong to this generation which knows that one does not change the world with slogans, nor even perhaps with only ideas. But more simply, more surely, with men and women of good will. Entirely dedicated to serving and helping »
Farewell general...
NB: It is the Swedish general who will replace him, Hakan Erik Gunnar Syren (as we announced ... a year ago).
Read also:
- Gen. Bentégeat: A permanent HQ necessary? Yes, but a civil-military HQ (October 2009)
- ESDP can't do everything but is useful, says General Bentegeat (September 2009)
- Gen. Bentegeat: "Eufor Chad, the mark of a certain maturity" (May 2008)
