The European flag, which had been flying under the Arc de Triomphe since Friday, December 31 for the start of the French presidency of the EU, was withdrawn overnight from Saturday to Sunday, “according to schedule”, assured the Elysee to franceinfo.
>> French Presidency of the EU: the absence of the tricolor under the Arc de Triomphe makes the right and the far right leap
“The European flag was scheduled to be installed on December 31 and January 1 to mark the symbolic kickoff of the French presidency of the European Union. It was withdrawn on schedule.”, specified the Palace. As for the return of the French flag, the executive did not provide a date but recalled that it did not float permanently under the Arc de Triomphe anyway.
The installation of the European flag alone, not accompanied by the French flag, had made the far right and part of the right leap. The candidate of the National Rally (RN) in the presidential election, Marine Le Pen, announced on Saturday, in a press release, that she was going to drop off “in the next few days” an appeal to the Council of State to challenge the decision to fly the flag of Europe under the Arc de Triomphe, accompanied by a request “suspension, in summary”.
The other far-right candidate, Eric Zemmour, but also LR candidate Valérie Pécresse, had also criticized the installation of the EU flag, less than 100 days before the presidential election.
On Sunday, after the flag was withdrawn, Marine Le Pen greeted “a beautiful patriotic victory”, considering that “the government was forced to withdraw the flag of the European Union from the Arc de Triomphe”.
A great patriotic victory at the dawn of 2022!
The government was forced to withdraw the flag of the European Union from the Arc de Triomphe.
Thank you to the massive mobilization of all lovers of France and the Republic to roll back Emmanuel Macron. https://t.co/BNNJ0BJMhG
– Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) January 2, 2022
“Thank you to the massive mobilization of all lovers of France and the Republic to push back Emmanuel Macron”, insisted the candidate of the National Rally on Twitter.