Notre Dame Cathedral: Crowd behind grand opening

Notre Dame Cathedral, known as a symbol of the political and economic crisis in Europe and the West due to the massive fire ‘accident’, has finally been restored and returned to the service of the Christian community. Although the incident was claimed to be an accident, analysts have not ruled out that there were many political motives behind the Cathedral fire.

On April 15, 2019, amid political turmoil in France, a massive blaze at Notre-Dame Cathedral in central Paris devastated a large part of the church, leaving the landmark's roof entirely destroyed and the iconic spire collapsed.

The famous French writer Victor Hugo, in his novel Notre Dame de Paris, better known as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, used expressions such as “great edifice” and “the work of centuries” about Notre Dame Cathedral, emphasizing its product of human intelligence. He also described the magnificence of the Cathedral, which was built by human hands.

But over time, the Cathedral began to literally become a center of suicides. Dominique Venner, the far-right French essayist who shot himself before the altar of Notre Dame Cathedral astounded the Parisians. Although many have linked the cause of his suicide to Islam, in fact, Venner was lamenting the crisis in which Europe was rapidly falling into decline. He strongly protested against same-sex marriage and the migrant chaos in France and Europe. His views were based on the preservation of a pure Christian society and the prevention of unhealthy traditions that infected society. By committing suicide, Verner expressed his frustration with the threat that France and the European world as a whole would face and his desire to get rid of it.

So it turns out that the Notre Dame fire accident was a cry from the entire Christendom and a stark message about the miserable state the country was in. Accidents are often caused by carelessness, which can result in devastating consequences, as we usually assume.

The 2019 Notre-Dame fire was also characterized as a reflection of the building's historical weight, such as the political motives and the lack of governments ruling the country in a proper manner. It also vented anger against the Macron government, which came to power in France in 2017 but failed to deliver on its promises.

Crowd Behind the Grand Opening

Massive protests broke out in France amid the ongoing political crisis in the country. Thousands of workers took to the streets in Paris, demanding French President Emmanuel Macron's resignation. According to news releases, the protest was organised by 'discontented public workers'.

Despite all this, the bells of Notre Dame rang again, as French President Emmanuel Macron said in the reopening ceremony of the world-famous cathedral in Paris. The opening of this magnificent building welcomed the world’s famous leaders, including the US President-elect Donald Trump. Many have said Macron’s organizing the opening ceremony is a glimpse of hope for standing upright in his presidential position, despite heavy protests calling for his immediate resignation. In addition, the ceremony came at the end of a challenging week for the French president, after the collapse of the government, which left the country with no prospect or plan.

Macron on the ropes after his hung parliament leaves him an undesirable choice

Emmanuel Macron’s new government faced no-confidence votes less than 12 hours after it was unveiled.

Michel Barnier, the French prime minister, unveiled his new centre-right cabinet, awarding plum posts such as interior and finance ministers to mainstream conservatives and Macron allies, provoking anger from the opposition and threats to topple the government.

Thus, three months after he was appointed prime minister by French President Emmanuel Macron, Michel Barnier and his government were toppled on Wednesday, December 4, after a majority of MPs voted in favor of a motion of no-confidence.

Many asked a question – Why so early?

For the first time in over sixty years, the National Assembly lower house toppled the incumbent government, approving a no-confidence motion that had been proposed by the hard left but which crucially was backed by the far right headed by Marine Le Pen.

Barnier's rapid ejection from office comes after snap parliamentary elections this summer which resulted in a hung parliament with no party having an overall majority and the far-right holding the key to the government's survival.

President Emmanuel Macron now has the unenviable choice of picking a viable successor with over two years of his presidential term left.