Emmanuel Macron went to the funeral of Dominique Bernard on Thursday October 19. Relatives of the professor, murdered by a terrorist in Arras, are now demanding action from him.
It is a ceremony that the loved ones wanted to be discreet and intimate. Dominique Bernard, the French teacher killed Friday October 13 in Arras by a terrorist, was buried Thursday October 19. Emmanuel Macron was on site, but unlike the national tribute which was paid to Samuel Paty on October 21, 2020 at La Sorbonne, the head of state did not speak.
The French president was accompanied by Brigitte Macron and the Minister of National Education, Gabriel Attal. Everyone stayed behind, “it was the family’s wish”assured the mayor of Arras Frédéric Leturque on franceinfo.
The exasperation of the family and the teaching staff
“The family is very angry with the institution”, confides a source within the executive. Additional proof: there has been no contact between Emmanuel Macron’s government and the family since the attack, until this meeting on October 19, almost a week after the attack.
The executive is aware that the teaching world shares this anger. As evidenced by this scene, Saturday October 14, at the Gambetta high school: Gabriel Attal and Xavier Bertrand speak with teachers in the staff room, the day after the attack. It is not so much astonishment as exasperation that is expressed.
“Since the death of Samuel Paty, what have you done?”
a colleague of Dominique Bernardin the aftermath of the attack
The two political leaders are taken to task and questioned on the security of the establishment, on the absence of consequences, also, drawn from the assassination of Samuel Paty, on October 16, 2020: “What have you done in three years?“, says a professor. A ministerial advisor summarizes: “From now on, tributes will no longer be enough, actions will be needed.”
Beneath the tribute therefore smolders this anger. This is also what explains why Emmanuel Macron is economical with his words. The Head of State recognized on Tuesday October 17, from Albania, that all European countries were vulnerable to terrorism. He also assured that the state would be ruthless with terrorists. He must now demonstrate that this same State is not powerless.