Macron inaugurated as President of France
Twenty-one cannon blasts have boomed out across Paris in a formal salute for the new leader, BBC reports. Rather than rolling artillery through the streets, the cannons are at Les Invalides, home to the army museum and the tomb of Napoleon.
As his successor gave his speech on the future of France, François Hollande sent a series of (presumably preprepared) reflective tweets. “I am bound to you as you are bound to me, by our common history,” the ex-president tweeted.
“Without you, I would have never had the chance to rule France.” He said leading France was a “heavy responsibility” and – reflecting Macron’s speech – said the nation should be an example to others. He said he was proud of his achievements – keeping Greece in Europe, the climate change deal, and dealing with testing times for France.
“I leave a country in a much better state than I found it,” he said. In recent months, President Hollande’s approval ratings hit a record low. In his speech, Macron said he would restore France’s global standing. “France is only strong if it’s prosperous. France is only a model for the world if it is exemplary,” he said.
“We will have given back to the French a taste for the future – and pride in what they are. “The whole world will pay attention to what France says – because we will, together, go beyond our fears and anxieties.
