Trump welcomed by world leaders at Notre Dame reopening ceremony in 'presidential' fashion
FOX NewsNOV 2024
Notre-Dame Cathedral Reopens in Paris
Above: World leaders, politicians and guests stand as the Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulric reads during the ceremony to mark the reopening of Notre-Dame of Paris Cathedral on Dec. 7, 2024 in Paris, France. Image copyright: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Notre-Dame de Paris
The Spin
Narrative A
Under fire at home, Macron has achieved a symbolic victory with the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral — which he has described as a "metaphor for the life of the nation" — in just five years. Furthermore, he was able to make an impressive return to the world stage to broker talks with Trump and Zelenskyy.
Narrative B
Given that Notre-Dame is a symbol of Western civilization, those who worked to rebuild it must be praised — even politicians such as Emmanuel Macron. It's a shame, though, that the French president has sought to use the reopening for his own secular purposes, acting as if the cathedral were a civil hall rather than a place of worship.