Under the Arc de Triomphe, the European flag of discord

 

Celebrating the start of the French presidency of the European Union, the unfurling of a gigantic European flag above the tomb of the unknown soldier made all the right-wing candidates for the presidential election react.

While usually it is the French flag that flaunts the famous Parisian arch, floating above the remains of the Unknown Soldier, for a few days a gigantic European standard has replaced it under the Arc de Triomphe. This is one of the events with which France celebrates the start of its presidency of the European Union, which begins this Saturday, January 1. Other famous places in the capital were also dressed in the colors of Europe on this occasion, in particular the Eiffel Tower, adorned with the twelve stars selected in 1986 as the symbol of all European institutions.

Read alsoMajority defends European flag to strengthen cleavage with Eurosceptics

But the Arc de Triomphe is not just any public place. Erected at the request of Napoleon from 1806 to perpetuate the memory of the victories of the French armies, it has never ceased, since its inauguration in 1836, to serve as a support for the celebration of the soldiers who died for France. Since the Liberation of Paris in 1944, it has become customary to let the French flag fly under the arch: “Under the other French presidencies of the Council of the EU, the tricolor has been maintained or cohabited with the EU flag»  

It did not therefore take long for the appearance of the European flag, alone and as a replacement for the French flag, to make many Internet users react, immediately followed by all the right-wing presidential candidates, without exception.

SEE ALSO – New Year: the Eiffel Tower sparkles in the colors of the European flag to celebrate the transition to 2022

Zemmour, Le Pen, Pécresse …

Marine Le Pen thus deplored a “provocation” Who “offends those who fought for France“, Asking Emmanuel Macron to intervene to restore the presence of the national flag. A request to the Head of State also addressed “solemnly“By Valérie Pécresse:”We owe it to all our fighters who shed their blood for [le drapeau tricolore]“Added the Republican candidate, explaining her point as follows:”Presiding over Europe yes, erasing French identity no!»

As for Eric Zemmour, he also relayed an image of the European flag under the Arc de Triomphe with the comment: “after the sacking and packaging, the outrage“. Florian Philippot, Gilbert Collard, Nicolas Dupont-Aignan as well as many deputies of the National Rally have also expressed, at least on social networks, their dissatisfaction.

There were not many people to defend this choice, the majority having instead chosen not to venture into the controversy. One of the few to have responded to criticism from the right is the deputy (LREM) François Jolivet,  

«The presence of the European flag under the Arc de Triomphe does not shock me, since it marks the start of the French presidency of the European Union. Lifting France onto the roof of Europe, putting it in control, has its something patriotic.»

Read alsoThe keys to understanding the French presidency of the EU

More numerous, on the other hand, were those who especially criticized Valérie Pécresse for her participation in a controversy that they considered came from the extreme right. “Running after Marine Le Pen, copying her tweets and polemical bass, what sadness, Valérie Pécresse!»Retorted the Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune – who relayed on his account the images of many Parisian monuments in the colors of Europe, such as the Eiffel Tower, the opera or the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral … but not the Arc de Triomphe.

Clément Beaune also clarified to BFMTV that the tricolor would soon resume its place: “The device is in place for a few days, with the illuminations, and the French flag will obviously be reinstalled afterwards, without the European flag.»

Read alsoClément Beaune: “Pécresse, it’s bad Macron or bad Ciotti”

In the meantime, as the Brut journalist Remy Buisine has shown, the hundreds of thousands of people massed on the Champs-Élysées last night despite the cancellation of the fireworks have waited in vain for the traditional countdown for the New Year, usually projected onto the Arc de Triomphe: this has obviously been removed as well, given the health restrictions.   

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