In memory of the former Minister of Justice, Robert Badinter, who died on the night of February 8 to 9 at the age of 95, tributes are multiplying. The day after the announcement of his disappearance, the Elysée announced a national tribute at 12 p.m., Wednesday February 14, on Place Vendôme in Paris – seat of the Ministry of Justice for 300 years. Emmanuel Macron had specified that he would speak on this occasion on the question of a possible pantheonization of Robert Badinter. “These things take time,” he stressed.
If the tribute is indeed “national”, not all elected officials will, however, be welcome. It is in any case a request from the family of the deceased, according to information from Figaro, confirmed by AFP: the Elysée informed the National Rally and La France insoumise that their presence was not desired – a demand “firmly formulated by the philosopher Elisabeth Badinter”, widow of the former Minister of Justice . “We will not be present, the family did not wish it. I am not going to argue,” declared Marine Le Pen, on the sidelines of a session at the National Assembly.
Mélenchon regrets a tribute “from which part of the French are excluded”
On the death of Robert Badinter, Marine Le Pen hailed on the social network [ses] fighting”. The double candidate for the presidential election then referred to the abolition of the death penalty, supported by Robert Badinter.
For his part, Jean-Luc Mélenchon had insisted on the “unparalleled force of conviction” of a “simply luminous” being – which did not, however, earn him an official invitation to the national tribute. An air of déjà vu, for the leader of the Insoumis, while several Israeli families had written to Emmanuel Macron to ask him to ban the presence of LFI elected officials there, due to their refusal to recognize the “terrorist” nature of the attacks of Hamas.
However, the Insoumis have already announced that they will be represented, during this national tribute, by two deputies: the vice-president of the National Assembly, Caroline Fiat as well as the president of the Finance Committee, Eric Coquerel. “Badinter: a national tribute from which a part of the French are excluded is no longer a national tribute. The Republic is one and indivisible”, reacted on X Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
This tribute will follow that which was paid this Tuesday to the National Assembly. Its president, Yaël Braun-Pivet, “mentioned […] the memory of the great republican who has just left us”. The deputies subsequently respected a minute of silence. In addition, collections of condolences are made available to the public at the Ministry of Justice, open exceptionally for the occasion Everyone can go there until this Tuesday evening, February 13.