Inside simply 48 hours, an EU flag went up — after which again down — beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, sparking a far-right tradition conflict over nationwide identification and leaving the French authorities insisting it had not bowed to critics.
France initially hoisted the flag on December 31, a part of a celebration of France assuming the rotating EU presidency for the primary half of 2022. Nearly immediately, nevertheless, far-right politicians latched onto the transfer, arguing it was an indication the French authorities had deserted the nation’s identification. By Sunday, the flag had come down, with the federal government saying that was all the time the plan and placing again on the far-right assaults.
“The flag was scheduled to be withdrawn on Sunday,” Clément Beaune, the nation’s European affairs minister, mentioned throughout an interview Sunday with France Inter. “There was no retreat.”
That did not cease far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen from declaring a “nice patriotic victory” on Twitter Sunday afternoon.
“The federal government was compelled to take away the European Union flag from the Arc de Triomphe,” she said. “Thanks to the huge mobilization of all of the lovers of France and the Republic to make Emmanuel Macron again down.”
The second symbolizes the forces at play as France heads towards a presidential election this spring. French President Emmanuel Macron is anticipated to vie for a second time period however is going through stress from the best — not solely from Le Pen but in addition from far-right candidate Éric Zemmour. Macron has sought to make use of France’s flip helming the EU presidency to point out how France can affect the EU and profit from its membership. Le Pen and Zemmour have equally used the second to push their very own Euroskeptic arguments.
That was the backdrop on New 12 months’s Eve when the French authorities raised the EU flag beneath the Arc de Triomphe, whereas additionally bathing the Eiffel Tower and different main landmarks in EU blue. France formally took over the presidency of the Council of the EU on Saturday and can retain it for half a 12 months. On this position, the nation shall be liable for chairing conferences of EU ministers.
Le Pen decried the flag-raising as “an assault on the identification of our nation, an insult to those that died for the Fatherland,” arguing the EU flag had changed the French flag.
The Arc de Triomphe is a memorial to French troopers who fought and perished in battle.
“This provocation offends those that fought for France. I ask E. Macron to revive our nationwide flag,” she said in one other tweet, producing greater than 14,000 likes and 1000’s of retweets.
On Sunday, Beaune shot again at her remarks, warning of polemics. “Daring to summon the reminiscence of the veterans, I say it, that’s an abject disgrace,” he mentioned.
And the European flag had by no means changed the French one, he mentioned.
“They’re speaking nonsense. They lied,” he mentioned on France Inter. “We’ve by no means, ever eliminated a French flag.”
The French flag, he mentioned, is barely hoisted beneath the Arc de Triomphe on particular events, such because the nationwide day on July 14 — on this event, it hadn’t been up. The far proper, he argued, most popular “vacancy over the European flag.”
The spat comes just a few months earlier than the French presidential election is scheduled to start on April 10.
Maybe unsurprisingly, Zemmour struck related tones to Le Pen: “The Arc de Triomphe beneath Macron: after the ransacking and the packing, the contempt,” he said.
Middle-right presidential candidate Valérie Pécresse additionally chimed in, pushing for 2 flags to fly beneath the monument.
“Presiding over Europe sure, erasing the French identification no! I solemnly ask Emmanuel Macron to revive our tricolor flag subsequent to that of Europe beneath the Arc de Triomphe. We owe it to all our fighters who shed their blood for it,” she said.
Beaune warned Pécresse’s stance makes her an confederate to the acute proper. This was, he mentioned, “a critical political error.”
Whereas Beaune insisted that he was “proud” that the flag had flown “for just a few days,” the show was in the end short-lived.
An Elysée spokesperson additionally denied the flag was taken down beneath stress, saying it had been eliminated in a single day Saturday into Sunday as initially scheduled.
Clea Caulcutte contributed reporting.
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