Emmanuel Macron will preside over the ceremony to commemorate the victory of 1945 in a very limited format on Friday, May 8, in the presence of the main political and military leaders but without audiences due to the coronavirus crisis, said the Elysee.
Read also: Europe celebrates 75 years of the end of the war without much fanfare
While this year marks the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazism, it is the first time that the traditional Arc de Triomphe ceremony will take place in this way, without the traditional ascent of the Champs Elysées and review of the troops.
Alongside the Head of State, his predecessors Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande will be present, the presidents of the two assemblies Gérard Larcher and Richard Ferrand, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, Minister of the Armies Florence Parly and Secretary of State Geneviève Darrieussecq , as well as the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo.
The armies will be represented by their highest officials, including the chief of staff François Lecointre.
Broadcast live on Figaro Live, the ceremony should last 45 minutes and will start at 10.45 am with a wreath laying in front of the statue of General de Gaulle on the Champs Elysées. The solemn ceremony will follow under the Arc de Triomphe which, while respecting its traditional sequence, has been "adapted to comply with health measures", according to the Elysée Palace. This is particularly the case for the wreath laying or the rekindling of the flame of the Unknown Soldier that Emmanuel Macron will carry out, in the presence of a single flag bearer.
Distancing measures will also be applied, allowing those in charge not to wear a mask. Place de l'Etoile will be deserted, with no forum for representatives of the institution or the press.
Emmanuel Macron was originally scheduled to travel to Moscow to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the USSR's victory over Nazi Germany. But the Victory Parade, which was attended by other leaders, was canceled due to the pandemic.
