Today is the national holiday in Paris. But in view of possible unrest, French President Macron has made changes to the plan.
Despite fears of new unrest, France is celebrating its national day today. President Emmanuel Macron holds the traditional military parade on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Guest of honor this year is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Annual military parades are still held in countries such as Russia, North Korea and Turkey. But France is one of the few western countries that sticks to this tradition – alongside Italy and Spain, where there are smaller parades every year. Former US President Donald Trump was so impressed after a visit to Paris on July 14, 2017 that he subsequently had more military parades organized in the US.
On the one hand, the Paris parade on the French National Day is intended to be an exhibition of achievements, but on the other hand it is also intended to strengthen partnerships with friendly states and intensify contact between the armed forces and the population. To begin with, the French President takes the troops and drives down the Champs-Élysées in an open vehicle with the Chief of Staff. Macron’s predecessor François Hollande was unperturbed by a heavy downpour.
The foot troops are followed by tanks
Nine pilots from the Patrouille de France aerobatic team then draw their red, white and blue contrails in the sky. Last year, Macron himself took part in a training flight a few days before the national holiday. The soldiers of the invited nation usually open the parade of the infantry, this year there were 240 Indian soldiers. Three Rafale fighter jets, bought by India from France, also took part in the air show.
Soldiers from the Bundeswehr have also been invited several times, for example in 1994 as members of the Eurocorps under the presidency of François Mitterrand. At that time there were still excited press reports with titles like “German tanks in Paris”. In 2019, the Franco-German Brigade took part in the parade, with Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) sitting in the grandstand at the time.
The soldiers of the Foreign Legion, whose leather aprons and axes are reminiscent of their time as construction soldiers, also attract particular attention. They march slower than the other units – a tradition that goes back to their deployments in hot African countries.
The mounted units of the Republican Guard are also popular with spectators. Members of the Republican Guard Orchestra are recognizable by their red ponytails on their helmets, traditionally a protection against sword blows to the neck. They are still made from real horse hair today. The infantry are followed by combat vehicles and weapon systems of all kinds. This year, several armaments that France has delivered to Ukraine will be demonstrated, such as an artillery system, armored vehicles and an air defense system.
Evening with fireworks or with riots?
On July 14, it becomes clear again and again that the military in France has a different role in society than in Germany. As the supreme commander of the armed forces, the President has a great deal of latitude. For example, foreign assignments can be decided much faster than in Germany, since the French parliament has hardly any say.
The French national holiday commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, which became the symbolic start of the French Revolution. The military parade has been taking place on the Champs Élysées since 1981. As an exception, next year it is to be relocated to the east of the city because of the Summer Olympics. The end of the French National Day is then less military: in the evening there is usually a concert and a big fireworks display at the Eiffel Tower.
