Le Figaro: Serbia was „humiliated in Paris,“ France „messed up“

Foto: AP Photo/Francois Mori, Pool / Obeležavanje stogodišnjice od završetka Prvog svetskog rata
Foto: AP Photo/Francois Mori, Pool / Obeležavanje stogodišnjice od završetka Prvog svetskog rata

The protocol of the French President placed the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic outside the official stand during the celebration of the end of WW1 in Paris.

The President of Serbia was placed outside the range of television cameras, which is an unacceptable failure, since Serbia lost „1.2 million of its children“ in the Great War, writes French daily Le Figaro in an article headlined, „The commemoration of Nov. 11: Serbia unjustly humiliated.“

A senior member of the Elysee Palace protocol team, in charge of seating officials in the honorary stand, told the Paris newspaper: „We have messed up.“

Around President Macron were representatives of the allies in the First World War – Russia, the US, Italy and Romania, but also the presidents of Bulgaria and Turkey, as well as the German chancellor, who were enemies 100 years ago, and during that time one man, although huge in height (Vucic) was shoved as far below as could have been done and put to sit on the opposite platform, among lower-level ministers, diplomats and other officials.

„That Serbia, with her historical sacrifices, France has humiliated France on November 11. We can only imagine how Aleksandar Vucic felt while watching opposite himself the smiling Trump, Putin and Macron, the notorious Recep Tayyip Erdogan, or Hashim Thaci, president of a country that Serbia does not recognize, and which in 1914 was only a region within Serbia,“ the article says, referring to Kosovo and Metohija.

Although the French Ambassador to Serbia, Frederic Mondoloni, apologized on behalf of Paris on Monday, there have been reactions in Belgrade.

The Monument of Gratitude to France, just rebuilt – was vandalized, while demands have been heard to rename the Belgrade streets that are named after Paris and France, the daily newspaper states.

Le Figaro points out that on December 6 Emmanuel Macron will be coming to Belgrade. Vucic promised him a magnificent welcome and said that Serbia would not „mess up“ when it comes to marking „the historic friendship between the two countries, which is based on the blood spilled together“.

The article, signed by Firgaro’s deputy director Jean-Christophe Buisson, concludes that this time France risks to be the one who will feel humiliated.

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