[ad_1]
President Emmanuel Macron faced a wave of criticism on Wednesday after defending Nazi collaborator Philippe Petain, who led the authoritarian regime of Vichy in France, as a "great soldier" during the First World War.
The army announced Tuesday night that a ceremony would be held Saturday to commemorate the eight marshals who commanded French forces during the First World War, including Petain.
"It's just that we pay tribute to the marshals who led France to victory," said Macron in Charleville-Mezieres, as part of a tour in northern France marking the centenary of the end of the war.
"It was a great soldier, it's a fact," said Macron, while pointing out that Petain made "disastrous choices" during the Second World War.
His comments sparked strong criticism from rival politicians as well as Jewish leaders, reopening a painful chapter in the history of France that continues to divide the country decades later.
Francis Kalifat of CRIF's Association of French Jewish Groups said he was "shocked" by Macron's comments praising a leader who helped expel thousands of Jews.
"The only thing we will remember about Petain, is that he was found guilty of national indignity on behalf of the French people at his trial in 1945," Kalifat said in a statement. a statement.
"Petain is a traitor and an anti-Semite," tweeted Jean-Luc Melenchon of the far-left France Unbowed party.
"Macron, this time you went too far!"
– & # 39; Complicated & # 39; –
For years, French leaders have acted lightly in the face of Petain's tortuous legacy, which according to his critics would have left an indelible mark on the country.
However, the Marshal was long considered an excellent tactician during the Great War, especially for having stopped the German advance in Verdun in 1916.
He also deserved the admiration of his soldiers by advocating strategies to avoid unnecessary fighting and loss of life – although he nevertheless tolerated the execution of deserters' attempts.
Hailed as a hero after the armistice, Petain will be called to rule again after the invasion of Germany in 1940, taking over most of France.
But at the head of the Vichy regime, he actively collaborates with the Nazi occupiers, pursuing the French resistance fighters while proclaiming the second-class status of Jews and helping German soldiers to bypass them for the death camps.
After the end of the war, he was arrested for treason and sentenced to death, which was commuted to life imprisonment for his age. He died in 1951 at the age of 95.
"I will not forgive anything, but I will not erase anything from our history," Macron said later Wednesday, reiterating that Petain was "complicit in serious crimes."
"You create controversies yourself, my children," he warned the reporters – echoing, intentionally or not, the "paternalist" my children "used by Petain to close a Christmas speech of 1940.
– Inheritance of division –
Former socialist president Francois Mitterrand provoked the same scandal by laying flowers on Petain's grave on the occasion of the anniversary of the armistice for years, a practice that his successor curator Jacques Chirac quickly ended his activities.
Macron will not attend the ceremony Saturday at the military hospital and the museum of Invalides in Paris, but he will be sent by his military adviser in chief to represent him.
The debate reflects a long-standing division on political grounds, with right-wing groups often praising Petain for what he saw as traditional Catholic values.
At the head of Vichy France, he replaced the slogan "Liberty, Equality and Fraternity" of the country with the most imperative "Work, Family and Country".
The controversy erupted as Macron regularly held his office in Charleville-Mézières for the week, as part of the commemoration of the centenary of the former Western Front.
Dozens of world leaders are expected to attend an armistice ceremony in Paris on Sunday, and many will remain to participate in a Macron-sponsored peace forum to promote multilateralism.
The president's tour on the battlefield has been marked by protests against the rising cost of living, especially the rise in the price of gasoline, which many blame for high taxes.
Angry drivers, as well as retirees, clashed with Macron during his public appearances. Thousands of drivers are expected to block roads across the country on November 17 as a sign of protest.
Macron said he understood their grievances and promised relief, but added Wednesday that "some people are sincere in their anger and others are not sincere".
French President Emmanuel Macron, seen here visiting a First World War cemetery, faces a wave of criticism for describing the army commander turned Nazi collaborator Philippe Petain as a "great soldier"
In this file, a photo published by the museum of the First World War "Historial de Peronne" and taken on August 15, 1914 shows a postcard depicting a portrait of French Marshal Philippe Pétain during the First World War.
