The Notre Dame of Paris has been restored to its former "brilliance" five years after the fire that devastated the historical cathedral, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday.
Speaking during a televised tour of the renovated Notre Dame, Macron acknowledged the "insane challenge" of reinstating the cathedral over five years of extensive works. The President said the reopening constituted a "burst of hope" for France.
The fire, which broke out in April 2019, made international headlines and destroyed much of the cathedral's interior and exterior. Some 600 firefighters worked to extinguish the flames. Despite the damage wrought on historic artefacts, the frame of the building survived and no one was injured.
The official reopening is scheduled for next weekend (7-8 December). The event will be "as intense as that of the fire, but it will be a burst of hope," Macron said in the tour that was broadcast to French and international news channels.
Speaking inside the cathedral, he thanked the 2,000 people who contributed the "project of the century," 1,300 of which were present on Friday according to the Élysée.
"You have been the alchemists of the project, transforming coal into art," he continued. "The blaze of Notre Dame was a national wound, and you have been its remedy through determination, labour and commitment. You have achieved what many thought was impossible," he added.
Macron also paid tribute to the late General Jean-Louis Georgelin, who was in charge of the restoration and passed away in 2023.
Political symbolism
Macron is facing political pressure following his decision to dissolve the French National Assembly in June. In the election that followed, the New Popular Front (NFP), a coalition of left-wing parties, won the election. Macron's party Ensemble came second and the far-right National Rally (RN) came third.
Despite the left's victory, Macron selected the centre-right politician and former EU Commissioner Michel Barnier as Prime Minister.
In a bid to quell anger at the current political landscape, Macron is placing intense symbolic value on the Notre Dame's reopening, ranking it among "French prides" such as the 2024 Paris Olympics.
He is set to speak at the site again on 7 December. Numerous foreign leaders are invited to the ceremony in the hopes of garnering more international attention. However, the list of attendees is yet to be confirmed, and Pope Francis has chosen to visit Corsica instead of Paris.
