< Back to all clusters
[INTERNATIONAL] · France, Ukraine, Germany, United Kingdom · 78 sources

Emmanuel Macron's final Bastille Day parade highlights European defence unity

On 14 July 2026 France held its traditional Bastille Day military parade on the Champs‑Élysées, presided over for the last time by President Emmanuel Macron. The event featured a record‑size display with around 6 800 troops on foot, 98 aircraft, 31 helicopters and 315 ground vehicles – roughly 30 % larger than previous years.

The parade opened with roughly 500 soldiers from the “Coalition of the Willing”, a group of states backing Ukraine, followed by a contingent of 25 Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended and was greeted by Macron, who framed the display as a “strategic awakening of Europe”. European leaders including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk were among the dozens of heads of state present.

Security measures were heightened: 9 000 police officers were deployed, a mandatory QR‑code entry system was reinstated by the Conseil d’État, and a drone light show illuminated the Eiffel Tower. The parade’s soundtrack included the Avengers theme performed by the Republican Guard orchestra, and for the first time in two decades British troops took part alongside French forces.

The ceremony also served as a platform for France to showcase its recent defence budget increase, with the armed forces’ spending having doubled since 2017. The event underscored France’s role in European security cooperation and its support for Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict.

Sources

about 10 hours ago
about 8 hours ago
about 9 hours ago