Paris (TDI): France is celebrating its national holiday, Bastille Day, with a grand military parade down Paris’ Champs-Élysées, dazzling flyovers by fighter jets, and celebrations in towns and cities across the country.
Bastille Day, celebrated every July 14, commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, an act that helped spark the French Revolution.
Roughly 7,000 people took part in the annual Bastille Day parade on the Champs-Élysées, including foot soldiers, cavalry units, and armored vehicles.
French President Emmanuel Macron presided over the ceremony, reviewing the troops and relighting the eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier beneath the Arc de Triomphe, a solemn ritual deeply embedded in French national tradition.
Read More: Bastille Day: Why France’s National Day Continues to Inspire the World
Speaking on the eve of the holiday, President Macron announced a significant boost to the national defense budget, €6.5 billion over the next two years.
He said the increase is necessary to counter a broad range of threats, including tensions with Russia, acts of terrorism, and rising cyberattacks.
“Since the end of World War II, our freedoms have never faced such grave danger,” Macron said in his televised address. He urged European nations to stand united and reaffirmed France’s support for Ukraine, stressing the need for a strong, collective defense strategy in a world he described as increasingly unstable.
A Celebration With Global Flavor
As has become tradition, France invited a foreign guest of honor to take part in this year’s festivities. Representing Indonesia, President Prabowo Subianto joined Macron in Paris, reflecting growing ties between the two countries.
Ahead of the celebrations, Subianto met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, where both sides finalized a trade agreement granting Indonesian goods tariff-free access to the EU.
The visit also paved the way for further defense cooperation, with Indonesia expected to confirm new purchases of French-made Rafale fighter jets and other equipment.
Read More: French Ambassador hosts ‘Bastille Day’ celebrations
About 200 Indonesian drummers and soldiers marched in Monday’s parade, adding a distinctive rhythm to the ceremony.
Troops from Finland, Belgium, and Luxembourg, serving in peacekeeping and NATO roles, also joined the procession, highlighting the increasingly international spirit of the celebration.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
