French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday led his tenth and final Bastille Day military parade as head of state, with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky as guest of honor and a strong presence of forces supporting Kyiv against the Russian invasion. The ceremony also included a tribute to the victims of the Nice terrorist attack, marking ten years since the atrocity that left 86 dead.
The traditional parade along the Champs-Élysées, which commemorates the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, was scheduled to begin around 10:00 a.m. local time. The event brought together about 500 soldiers from the so-called Volunteer Coalition—countries supporting Ukraine—as well as roughly 25 Ukrainian service members, who marched behind troops from member states of that alliance.
The participation of Ukrainian personnel and allied countries came a day after coalition leaders met in Paris. France and the United Kingdom have promoted this group since last year as a network of nations willing to take part in a potential European-led multinational force once a ceasefire in Ukraine is achieved.
On the eve of the parade, Macron delivered his customary address to the armed forces, defending Europe’s commitment to the continent’s security. “The message we send to the world is this: Yes, peace is our goal,” the president said.
The French president added: “Yes, we value liberty and the rule of law. And yes, we are prepared to fight to defend them. Always, and at the cost of blood if necessary.”
From the Élysée Palace officials also highlighted the political significance of the event. A member of the presidential office said the parade represents “a powerful symbol of a Europe that recognizes how dangerous the world is and must take its destiny into its own hands.”
The ceremony took place amid an intense heatwave affecting much of France. Tens of thousands of people attended the central Paris celebrations, while a forest fire advanced on the outskirts of the capital and authorities banned fireworks in several areas because of the risk of new blazes.
Alongside the military parade and the aerial display, the national day was to conclude with another highly anticipated event: the World Cup semifinal match between France and Spain. The French team aimed to return to a final after winning the title in 2018 and losing the 2022 final to Argentina.
Before the sporting event, Macron ordered a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the jihadist attacks that struck the country a decade ago.
The tribute recalled the attack on July 14, 2016 in the Mediterranean city of Nice, when a driver plowed a truck into crowds leaving the Bastille Day fireworks display. The attack killed 86 people and injured more than 400.
The Islamic State group later claimed responsibility for the attacker, a 31-year-old Tunisian national identified as Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, who was shot dead by police at the scene.
The Nice attack occurred less than a year after the coordinated November 13, 2015 attacks in Paris and surrounding areas, which killed 130 and were the deadliest terrorist attacks in peacetime France.
This year’s edition also marked Macron’s last July 14 parade before the end of his second consecutive term, the maximum allowed by the French Constitution. The president will leave office next year, and the political scene is already focused on the upcoming presidential election.
In that context, far-right leader Marine Le Pen intends to run for the presidency for a fourth time, despite a conviction for misuse of funds.
(With information from AFP)