Macron leads tribute as Paris marks 80 years of freedom from Nazi occupation

Paris commemorated the 80th anniversary of its liberation from German occupation during World War II with a series of tributes, military parades, and the ceremonial hoisting of the French flag at the Eiffel Tower on Sunday.

The city had been under German control for 1,500 days until the 2nd French Armoured Division, led by General Philippe Leclerc de Hautecloque, marched into the capital on August 25, 1944, following a week of uprisings, strikes, and street battles by French Resistance fighters.

A parade retraced the route taken by the French division from the south of Paris to its centre, featuring vintage military vehicles and witnessed by surviving veterans of the division. President Emmanuel Macron, along with Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, presided over the ceremony, which also attracted notable attendees such as American actor Jodie Foster.

In his speech, Macron emphasised the unity of the French people, saying, “Beyond all divisions and contradictions, to be French is to be together—free and determined to achieve even more.” The commemoration also included the lighting of the Paris Paralympic torch, ahead of the Paralympic Games starting on Wednesday, followed by a flyover from the Patrouille de France, a renowned unit of French air force planes.

Earlier that day, a French flag was raised at the Eiffel Tower, echoing the symbolic moment when Parisian firefighters replaced the Nazi flag with the tricolour 80 years earlier.

The celebrations capped a week of events, mirroring the seven days of conflict leading to Paris’ liberation. Saturday’s festivities included a tribute to “La Nueve,” a unit of mostly Spanish republicans who were the first to enter Paris, and an evening of music and dance at Paris city hall.