As the bells tolled for the first time in five years at the historic Notre Dame Cathedral that was devastated by a fire in 2019, it was a symbolic moment of resurgence for a France facing political instability and unrest. This medieval monument, one of the world’s most recognised cathedrals, is the epitome of European culture and religiosity. In 2019, a fire ripped through the roof of this historic structure plunging France and its people into depression. President Emmanuel Macron vowed to restore the cathedral to its original glory in five years and, despite his critics and naysayers calling the timeline overly optimistic, he managed to deliver on his promise. A sum of nearly 900 million euro was collected for the renovations. Work on the restoration of the cathedral began immediately and thousands of workers toiled to get it done on time.
The reopening ceremony was marked by the presence of several world leaders, notably US President-elect Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The ceremony included a moving tribute to the firefighters who rushed to the scene and tried to minimise the damage as well as the thousands of workers who worked tirelessly to restore Notre Dame to its past glory. The absence of Pope Francis at the reopening ceremony is being viewed as a snub to Macron but the Pope has always prioritised smaller Catholic communities over the big centres of Christianity. Macron hopes the reopening of Notre Dame will deflect from the current political uncertainty facing his government. The prime minister was forced to resign after he lost a no-trust motion but Macron is hoping to stay on by appointing a new PM. The successful holding of the Paris Olympics and now the grand reopening of Notre Dame are plus points for Macron in a tumultuous year, but it is only a matter of time before the unrest and turmoil catch up with him.
