Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

FRENCH HISTORY

Why Macron changed the colour of France’s Tricolore flag

It's a change so subtle it went unnoticed for almost three years. But President Emmanuel Macron ordered a change to the colour of the French flag to find echoes of heroism in France's past.

Published: 14 November 2021 14:21 CET
Updated: 15 November 2021 15:26 CET
French President Emmanuel Macron with the French and EU flags
French President Emmanuel Macron with the French and EU flags. Photo: Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt/AFP

Keen-eyed observers can see that the French red-white-and-blue tricolour flying above the president’s Elysée Palace, and also placed behind Macron at news conferences and speeches, now has a darker navy blue rather than the previous bright blue.

The navy blue colour marks a return to tradition – it had been then president Valery Giscard d’Estaing who switched the brighter blue in 1976 so that it matched the colour of the European flag.

The change had been made on the flags placed behind Macron at speeches from 2018 and then on those flying from the Elysée and other presidential buildings from 2020, a presidential official, who asked not to be named, told AFP on Monday.

READ ALSO Tricolore: 5 things to know about the French flag

Announcements from Macron or his ministers almost always feature in the background both the French flag and the EU flag.

The official confirmation comes after French media including the broadcaster Europe1 and Le Parisen newspaper, raised the issue.  

The official said that the navy blue colour “evokes the memory” of the heroes who fought in the French Revolution, the trenches of World War I and in the Resistance during World War II.

It was also suggested that the bleu marine (navy blue) is “more elegant”.

READ ALSO: Did you know? The strange fact about the French flag

The change has finally been noticed after being revealed in a book “Elysée Confidential” published this Autumn by journalists, Eliot Blondet and Paul Larrouturou.

They reported that the initiative came from the head of operations at the Elysée Arnaud Jolens, whom the journalists interviewed for their book.

The change cost a symbolic €5,000 and affected only flags on display at the Elysée, the many other French institutions that display the tricolore – from government ministries to town halls and schools – are not required to change their flags.

“Giscard changed this blue for aesthetic reasons during integration with Europe, but the flag that all the presidents took along with them ever since was not the real French flag,” Jolens is quoted as saying.

The Elysée official also pointed out that the flag on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris had always had the navy blue.

France on January 1st takes on the rotating EU presidency under Macron, a pro-European, while he faces re-election battle in April.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

PARIS

Paris’ Montmartre sets its sights on World Heritage bid

The Paris neighbourhood of Montmartre - famous for its bohemian and artistic history as well as Sacré-Coeur basilica - plans to apply for Unesco recognition, and has invited residents in the area to support the bid.

Published: 8 March 2024 18:08 CET
Paris' Montmartre sets its sights on World Heritage bid

The “Montmartre Patrimoine Mondial” association has given itself until September to submit an application to the French Ministry of Culture – the first step of gaining recognition as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

The arrondissement’s Mayor’s office told Le Parisien the bid would have its “moral and financial support” for the bid, which aims to make the most of the area’s history, colourful nightlife and timeless charms.

To be listed as Unesco World Heritage site, one of the criteria is to show cultural interest. Montmartre’s application relies – among others – on the Villa Radet, the artistic heritage, the maquis, plants, and the Montmartre wine. Selection criteria have been discussed with connoisseurs and lovers of the Butte such as the Société du Vieux Montmartre.

The first stage of bid would be to get Montmartre included on a national heritage list. Then, it would have to wait to be proposed by France to Unesco – a process that could take many years, as countries can only propose one candidate for inclusion on the list in any given year.

Montmartre is a relatively recent addition to the city – it was annexed into Paris in January 1860, along with other communities (faubourgs) surrounding the capital, and became part of the 18th arrondissement.

In the 19th-century it was a mecca for artists, in part because its status outside the city made it cheaper and exempt from certain city bylaws.

These days, millions of tourists tramp up its slopes every year, usually to admire the white-stone Sacre Coeur basilica, the panoramic views of Paris, or to visit the most famous of the French capital’s vineyards.   

And critics have said that the Place du Tertre, a hugely popular village-like square at the top, is threatening to become some sort of “Disneyland”.

Once favoured by penniless artists for its cheap lodgings, Montmartre has seen property prices sky-rocket, with homes snapped up by the rich and famous. 

Montmartre won further acclaim when its picturesque streets hit the big screen in 1991 with the release of Amelie, a light-hearted romantic comedy which painted a rosy, idealised version of the neighbourhood. 

The possible effects of World Heritage status on already high tourist numbers has been raised numerous times in neighbourhood council meetings, but the association behind the bid believes Unesco listing would only enhance and protect the historic artists’ quarter of Paris.

“We’re applying for World Heritage status, not TripAdvisor,” mayor Éric Lejoindre told Le Parisien. He said that inclusion on the UN list would be “an additional tool to limit Airbnb”. 

SHOW COMMENTS