Commemorations of May 8 may ultimately take place throughout France, but Covid-19 requires, they will take place "in restricted format" and will be closed to the public, announced this Monday evening the Ministry of the Armed Forces.
[# 8may] Given the exceptional situation linked to the state of health emergency # COVID19 and the #confinement measures, @gdarrieussecq indicates that the ceremonies of May 8 will take place as follows ⤵️ pic.twitter.com / Aj29A66VIJ
- Ministry of the Armed Forces (@Armees_Gouv) April 20, 2020The government announced last week the cancellation in the departments of the ceremonies of May 8 marking the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazism, except for a national ceremony in Paris, because of health restrictions demanded by the epidemic of coronavirus. This decision provoked the ire of several elected officials and certain veterans associations.
"A ceremony, presided over by the President of the Republic, will take place in the morning in Paris, at the Arc de Triomphe, in the presence of a limited number of civil and military authorities", and "will be broadcast live on television ", Details in a press release the Secretary of State to the Minister for the Armed Forces, Geneviève Darrieussecq.
"In all the departments as well as in the overseas territories, the prefects and high commissioners will organize a ceremony at the war memorial of the commune chief town in a restricted format and strictly respecting the distancing measures" , but "this ceremony will not be open to the public," she continues.
"In the municipalities, the mayors will be able to organize, in a very limited format and strictly respecting the distancing measures, a wreath laying at the war memorial", again without the public being allowed to attend.
"In order to demonstrate their participation in this national day, the President of the Republic asks French women and men who wish to display their balconies in national colors," concludes Ms. Darrieussecq.
Many right-wing elected officials had called Emmanuel Macron to reconsider the cancellation of the May 8 ceremonies. The deputy LR Philippe Gosselin said Saturday "scandalized", in a letter addressed to the Elysée, judging "breathtaking and inconceivable" that one can "buy kibbles to feed his dogs or cats" but "not honor his dead On May 8.
The president of the National Rally (RN) Marine Le Pen pleaded Sunday so that the mayors and the prefects can go to lay a wreath at the monuments to the dead on May 8.
Earlier Monday, the Association of Mayors of France had invited each mayor to lay a single wreath at the foot of the commemorative monument of the town on the occasion of May 8, to respect the duty of memory despite the restrictions linked to the health crisis .
This moment of contemplation must be done "without a rally or other public demonstration", in the company of a single standard-bearer designated by the veterans' associations, according to the AMF press release.
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