“Grateful France welcomes you
,” declared Emmanuel Macron, concluding the ceremony of entry into the Pantheon of Missak Manouchian, his wife Mélinée and 23 of his comrades-in-arms executed by the Germans 80 years ago.
“The France of 2024 had to honor those who were France 24 times over
,” said the Head of State in his speech.
“Missak Manouchian, you enter here as a soldier, with your comrades
,” he continued.
“You are joining the resistance fighters at the Pantheon with them.”
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In his speech inside the Republican temple, delivered in front of the coffins of Missak Manouchian and his wife wrapped in the tricolor flag, Emmanuel Macron retraced the
“destiny of freedom”
of this stateless person of Armenian origin, worker and poet, communist engaged in the Resistance.
“An odyssey of the 20th century is coming to an end
,” he said, also speaking of a
“European destiny”
.
“French people of hope”
Greeting in Manouchian and his comrades in combat
“French people in preference, French people in hope”
,
“foreigners and our brothers nevertheless”
according to the Aragon stanza, the president spoke of
“blood pacts”
.
“Today enters the pantheon 24 faces among those of the FTP MOI (Francs-tireurs partisans - Immigrant workforce, Editor's note)
, he continued.
24 faces among hundreds of fighters and hostages shot like them in the clearings of Mont-Valérien.”
Emmanuel Macron thus considered that it was a recognition
“of this part of the Resistance, six decades after Jean Moulin”
, pantheonized in 1964.
The Head of State's speech concluded the raising of the two coffins along rue Soufflot, which leads to the Pantheon, in a rainy ceremony, dotted with artistic evocations.
On the square in front of the monument, singer Patrick Bruel notably read Missak Manouchian's last letter to his wife, the French Army Choir sang the “Song of the Partisans”, while the group Feu!
Chatterton performed his cover of “L'Affiche rouge”, a song by Léo Ferré in memory of Manouchian and his comrades in arms, decried by Nazi propaganda in this poster which became a symbol of their sacrifice.