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French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte in front of Napoleon's magnificent tomb
Photo: SARAH MEYSSONNIER / REUTERS
Exactly 200 years ago, Napoleon died on the Atlantic island of Saint Helena.
To this day, the former emperor of the French divides public opinion in the country.
The commemoration of President Emmanuel Macron on that day was therefore not without controversy.
It's seen by many as part of a right swing Macron is looking to pick up conservative voters.
Now Macron spoke at the Paris Institut de France - an important scientific association in Paris.
Macron paid tribute to the former emperor as a great statesman, but also referred to the millions of dead during his campaigns.
"Napoleon never cared about human losses in his conquests," Macron said in his memorial address.
Today's politics, on the other hand, puts "human life above everything," he emphasized with reference to the corona pandemic.
»Enlightened Remembrance«
Two centuries after Napoleon's death there was no place for "exalted celebrations" but for "enlightened commemoration," said Macron in his approximately 15-minute speech.
It is undisputed that France owes Napoleon important fundamentals such as the Civil Code.
The reintroduction of slavery in France under Napoleon, however, was a "mistake" and a "betrayal of the spirit of the Enlightenment."
After his speech, Macron laid a wreath on Napoleon's tomb in the Paris Invalides.
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French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte at Napoleon's tomb in the Invalides
Photo: CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON / POOL / EPA
Napoleon died on May 5, 1821 on the British island of St. Helena. He was banished there after the lost battle of Waterloo in 1815. Historians accuse Napoleon Bonaparte of authoritarian rule and the restoration of slavery in 1802 after the French Revolution abolished it.
Conservatives see Napoleon as a reformer and founder of important institutions such as the central bank Banque de France. For example, right-wing populist Marine Le Pen Macron had accused of not paying proper tribute to Napoleon. The round anniversary deserved "more important commemorative celebrations," because Napoleon had done a lot for the country, she said in an interview. The head of the right wing party Rassemblement National (RN, formerly: Front National) called Napoleon an "immortal French legend". All attempts to belittle Napoleon's earnings retrospectively would amount to "ethical Waterloos," she said in a video with dramatic music that she shared in online networks.
In doing so, Le Pen distanced himself from Macron, whom she wants to challenge in the presidential election next year.
She is Macron's most successful and toughest political rival.
mfh / AFP
