The death of Brigitte Bardot, an icon of French cinema who passed away on Sunday 28 December at the age of 91, has rekindled the debate in France on the opportunity of a national tribute to the famous actress. The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, proposed the organization of an official ceremony to the family, but the family did not follow up on the initiative. A source close to Macron reported this to AFP. “There was an exchange with the family, with the proposal to organize a tribute, without the family following through”, explained the Elysée source, recalling that this is a “republican custom” and that official tributes are “always decided in mutual agreement with the deceased’s family”.
The request for a national tribute was relaunched by Éric Ciotti, leader of the UDR party, who promoted a petition to honor what he defined as “the Marianne of France”, in reference to the republican symbol of which Bardot was the face in the 1960s. The initiative collected over 23 thousand signatures, with the support of representatives of the right and far right. Ciotti directly solicited Emmanuel Macron, underlining the actress’s contribution to France’s international fame and her commitment to individual freedoms.
The proposal has attracted strong criticism on the left. The secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, while defining Bardot as “an iconic actress”, recalled that national tributes are reserved for those who have rendered “exceptional services to the Nation”, underlining how the diva “has moved away from republican values”. Faure also recalled the five convictions suffered by the actress for inciting racial hatred.
President Macron, who will not participate in the funeral, nevertheless paid homage to the figure of Bardot, defining her as a “legend of the century” who embodied an ideal of freedom. The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, announced the naming of a “symbolic place” in the city after the actress. However, within the left there is no shortage of more nuanced positions: the socialist deputy Philippe Brun recalled precedents such as the national homage to the singer Johnny Hallyday in 2017, leaving the final decision to the head of state.
Marine Le Pen will attend the funeral of Brigitte Bardot, scheduled for January 7 in Saint-Tropez. This was reported to AFP by a source close to the leader of the Rassemblement National, who had received public support from the actress in the past. Bardot, married for over thirty years to Bernard d’Ormale, former advisor to Jean-Marie Le Pen, had never hidden her sympathy for the nationalist right and in 2012 he publicly invited mayors to support Marine Le Pen’s first presidential candidacy. The leader of the Rassemblement National reacted to the announcement of the actress’s death by paying tribute to an “exceptional woman”, “incredibly French: free, indomitable and uncompromising”.
However, friends and people close to her remember how Bardot has always shunned official ceremonies. The funeral will be held privately in the church of Notre-Dame de l’Assomption in Saint-Tropez; The burial will take place in the city’s marine cemetery. An open tribute to citizens and admirers is planned afterwards, with the ceremony broadcast on giant screens, specified the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, committed to the protection of animals. (by Paolo Martini)
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