Macron hails common European defence in Bastille Day address
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President Emmanuel Macron spoke of the importance of common defence and security on Sunday as he marked Bastille Day celebrations in France.
In his annual July 14 message, he said: “Not since the end of the Second World War has Europe been so necessary.”
His message was posted as he prepared to host other world leaders at a military parade in Paris.
Bastille Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789 by a mob of Parisians during the opening stages of the French Revolution. The anniversary became a national day in 1880 and is marked by parades, speeches, parties and fireworks.
The major public event is the military parade down the Champs Elysees in Paris.
Professional pilot Franky Zapata demonstrates a flight on a ‘flyboard’, which the French army is considering using for military purposes, during the annual Bastille Day military parade on the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris, France. EPA-EFE/IAN LANGSDON
France’s President Emmanuel Macron (L) stands in an Acmat VLRA vehicle next to French Armies Chief Staff General Francois Lecointre as they review troops before the start of the Bastille Day military parade down the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, 14 July 2019. EPA-EFE/LUDOVIC MARIN / POOL
