Paris, July 16, 2025 – On the solemn anniversary of the Vel d’Hiv roundup, French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a poignant message that reflected both remembrance and a firm resolve to confront antisemitism in all its forms.
Taking to social media, President Macron recalled the landmark speech made by former President Jacques Chirac on July 16, 1995. It was on that day, Macron noted, that France publicly acknowledged its role in the 1942 roundup of over 13,000 Jews by French police—marking a turning point in national memory. “On July 16, 1995, President Jacques Chirac affirmed that France had committed the irreparable,” Macron wrote, honoring the courage it took to break decades of silence.
Building on that moment of reckoning, Macron reiterated France’s enduring commitment to truth and remembrance: “On this day of commemoration, we bear witness to our fidelity to these words of recognition, responsibility, and courage.” His words conveyed the moral responsibility to remember the victims and to face the darkest chapters of history with honesty.
Further in his message, Macron paid tribute to those deported during the Holocaust, stating, “We carry the memory of the victims of the Shoah deportations.” This act of remembrance serves as a reminder of the human cost of hatred and the necessity of vigilance.
Ending with a clear and forceful pledge, Macron declared: “We always fight against the poison of antisemitism.” At a time when antisemitic incidents are rising in many parts of the world, his statement reinforced France’s role in championing tolerance and human dignity.
Macron’s words were not just ceremonial—they were a call to remain steadfast in defending democratic values against the forces of hatred and denial.