World leaders gather for the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris | Political Affairs
French President Emmanuel Macron thanks all those who ‘saved, helped, rebuilt’ the beloved cathedral after a devastating fire in 2019.
World leaders gathered in the French capital for the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral, five years after the UNESCO World Heritage site was badly damaged in a fire that sparked international support.
The Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich opened the doors of Notre-Dame on Saturday evening at the beginning of a ceremony attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and other heads of state from around the world.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President-elect Donald Trump, who has been on his first overseas trip since winning last month’s US election, were among the many leaders in attendance.
“Tonight, I stand before you … to express the gratitude of the French nation – gratitude to all those who saved, helped, and rebuilt Notre-Dame,” Macron said during the ceremony.
“Tonight, the bells of Notre-Dame will ring again.”
Nous y sommes.
We look at you.
Allons réouvrir Notre-Dame!— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 7, 2024
[Translation: “Here we are. The world is watching us. Let’s reopen Notre-Dame!”]
A 2019 fire brought the beloved 12th-century gothic cathedral to the brink of collapse, as flames engulfed Notre-Dame and sent plumes of smoke into the sky above Paris. Hundreds of firefighters have been deployed to extinguish the fire.
After the fire, nearly $1bn in donations poured in from around the world to help with rebuilding efforts.
The cathedral has been carefully restored, with a new dressing of the spire and ribs, its flying buttresses and carved stone walls have returned to their former glory and the white and gold stone decorations are shining brilliantly again.
French firefighters who helped fight the blaze received a standing ovation during Saturday’s reopening ceremony. The word “merci” – French for “thank you” – was also lit up on the front of the building.
Paris worker Pascal Tordeux, who has a tattoo on his arm representing the cathedral, told Reuters news agency that Notre-Dame “says everything”.
“I could see the construction every day from my window, the metal being taken down, being brought back,” said Tordeux, who lives across the river from the cathedral. “I saw it burn, I saw it rise again. I followed it every day.”
The reopening comes as Macron faces a political crisis at home after parliament earlier this week expelled his prime minister.
Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler, reporting from outside Notre-Dame on Saturday evening, said the French president – who had promised to rebuild the cathedral in five years – hoped to defuse that political uncertainty.
“We’ve also seen Macron use this as an opportunity for last-minute negotiations,” Butler explained. Macron held talks with Zelenskyy and Trump at the Elysee before the ceremony.
“It was behind closed doors, but no doubt, Macron will be glad he was able to bring the two together before Trump is inaugurated in January,” Butler added.
Observers have raised concerns that Trump – who has questioned continued US support for Ukraine since Russia invaded in 2022 – could cut off Washington’s aid to Kyiv once he takes office.
In a post on X, the Ukrainian president described Saturday’s meeting with Macron and Trump as “good and productive”.
“We all want this war to end quickly and in a fair way. We talked about our people, the situation on the ground, and the right peace,” Zelenskyy wrote. “We agreed that we will continue to work together and communicate with each other. Peace with power is possible.”
I had a good and fruitful three-way meeting with the President @realDonaldTrump and the President @EmmanuelMacron at the Élysée Palace.
President Trump, as always, is serious. I thank him. I also express my gratitude to Emmanuel for organizing this important meeting.
We all want… pic.twitter.com/eKMtuhp2ZI
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelenskyy (@ZelenskyyUa) December 7, 2024
