After Le Monde published an article about French expatriates in central and eastern Europe, Olivier Bault contacted Grégory Leroy, one of the French interviewed by Saïda Djerrada for the major French newspaper, and made an article presenting his activity.
By Olivier Bault.
Poland – Have you ever wondered what would be your reaction to an Islamist attack? If suddenly a man pulls out a kalashnikov near you and starts shooting at the crowd? Even if you could get hold of his weapon, would you know how to turn it on him? With the end of military service, the French are no longer trained in the use of weapons and combat. However, even by the authorities’ admission, the French people must become accustomed to live in the presence of a permanent terrorist threat and a civil war is not excluded neither. “We are at war,” says a power that seems to lead a “phony war” as in 1939-40. And even if the power was really leading this fight, the police can not be everywhere 24 hours a day.
In his book / Tout ce qu’il ne faut pas dire / (All that is not to be said), the French gendarmerie general Bertrand Soubelet explains: “The suburbs of our big cities where too many young people are left to themselves, often poorly educated, sometimes out of school, without any prospects for the future, are reservoirs of rebels. It is in this pool of revolted, misguided youths, in dwelling and lacking bearings that jihad chooses its new assets. We live in a powder keg, because these delinquents, these potential killers have an almost inexhaustible source of death instruments: in large urban centers in France there are stocks of illicit weapons which are the remainder of the wars of Central Europe. What frightens us, gendarmes, is that these stocks of weapons, which are sleeping for the moment, will come out one day in the hands of determined and organized people”.
If it is a general of gendarmerie who says so, it is not being paranoid to fear a real civil war in France. Learning or re-learning how to use weapons of war is a matter of prudence and clairvoyance. “If you want peace, prepare the war,” says the ancient Roman adage. But how to prepare for it? In France, it is unknown, but in our market economy where the emergence of a need quickly generates an offer, there are companies that do offer anti-terrorist training courses. Nevertheless, since the legislation on assault rifles and dynamic shooting is very restrictive in France, the courses take place in Poland or in Czechia. Everything is legal, the companies and their activities are declared and established. One of them is Hussard, a Warsaw company founded by a French entrepreneur, Grégory Leroy. Hussard, it is also the name given to the anti-terrorist formations of 2 to 3 days proposed to the French citizens (but open to all the citizens of the countries of the EU): assault rifle shot, handgun dynamic shooting, battle arsenal maintenance, tactical combat, melee and first aid in combat situations. The instructors are sworn professionals, and the courses take place according to the case at the Warsaw Military Academy or at a partner shooting club.
Currently, Hussard offers a two-day course in Warsaw in May in partnership with the Grand Hotel Mercure in Warsaw, with dynamic shooting initiation and as a bonus a conference and a discovery of Polish military history with Piero San Giorgio, the famous Swiss survivalist.
Article published originally on Nouvelles de France.
Translated from French by the Visegrád Post.
