For the 80e anniversary of D-Day, the celebrations will last three days. Emmanuel Macron must pay, on Wednesday June 5, the first tributes to the Breton resistance fighters, the first paratroopers of Free France and the numerous civilian victims of the Second World War. He must chair a first ceremony during the morning in Plumelec, in Morbihan, to highlight “the role of the Breton resistance and the SAS paratroopers, coming from England and from all regions of France, as far as Oceania, who joined forces to hold back the German reinforcements”.
Joe Biden is also expected in France for the occasion. The President of the United States landed in Paris on Wednesday morning, before joining the Normandy beaches on Thursday for the commemorations of the Allied landing of June 6, 1944, this massive operation carried out in the greatest secrecy by the Americans, the British and commandos of free France to pave the way for the liberation of France and then the defeat of Nazi Germany.
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In the presence of the American President, King Charles III, the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and the Italian Head of State, Sergio Mattarella, the French President will be able to display Western unity as a major conflict strikes. Europe again. The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, will be there, while Russia, invited ten years ago, was formally excluded from the ceremonies, due to its “war of aggression” against Ukraine. On the sidelines of these ceremonies, Joe Biden will have the opportunity to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart to study ” how (…) continue to deepen [le] support [à l’Ukraine] »the White House said.
As the European election approaches, announced as very bad for his camp, Emmanuel Macron has decided this year to extend the commemorations, which will last three days, from Wednesday to Friday. “In Normandy, but also in Brittany, we will continue to honor all the memories of those who contributed to our liberation: those who stood up to fight Nazism, those who fought on all fronts, those who suffered and those who took all the risks to ease the suffering”he wrote in the press kit for this extraordinary diplomatic meeting.
Veterans in the spotlight
Veterans still alive will be in the spotlight during these celebrations, especially since due to their age, this will be the last major event in which they will be able to participate. Emmanuel Macron must speak and lay a wreath in the company of Colonel Achille Muller, the last of the French paratroopers who participated in the Landings. Around fifty American veterans, some of whom participated in the “longest day”, already arrived in Normandy on Monday. “Welcome to France, heroes” (“Welcome to France to the heroes”), wrote Tuesday https://twitter.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1798032906784501943 the French president.
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In Plumelec, “all flags” installed as part of the commemorations were stolen during the night from Monday to Tuesday, according to the town hall, which also reported damage to bus shelters and announced the opening of an investigation. According to West France who published photos, inscriptions such as: “Brittany is not for sale”, “Macron outside Brittany”, “This is not France”were notably tagged.
Wednesday afternoon, Emmanuel Macron will be in Saint-Lô, in Manche, to give a speech on the civilian victims of Allied bombings. “Capital of Ruins”according to the expression of the Irish playwright Samuel Beckett, “Saint-Lô is the symbol of all our cities which, at that time, experienced destruction”said Emmanuel Macron. “Their suffering, the heroism of the rescuers and the self-sacrifice of those who rebuilt them must find their full place in our collective memory”added the president.
There were between 50,000 and 70,000 civilian victims of Allied bombing in France, including 10,000 in Normandy alone during the summer of 1944. Four hundred died during the night of June 6 to 7 in Saint-Lô, which will be released on July 18, 90% destroyed. On Wednesday evening, Emmanuel Macron will pay tribute to the inmates of Caen prison, mainly resistance fighters, shot by the Germans during the Landings.
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