Notre Dame will provide a dramatic backdrop for the return of Donald Trump to the global stage this weekend as the elected U.S. president makes his first visit to Europe since the presidential election.
The cathedral, which was devastated by a fire in 2019, has been rebuilt at a cost of €700 million over five years, made possible by donations from 150 countries.
The celebrations for its reopening will last two days, starting with a speech by French President Emmanuel Macron.
However, for Macron, what should have been a moment of triumph comes at a time of national crisis, just days after his prime minister was ousted in a vote of no confidence and recently resigned.
Complicating the situation further, the European Commission is finalizing a long-delayed trade deal between the EU and the Mercosur bloc of South American countries, which France claims represents an existential “unacceptable” threat to its agricultural industry.
It is reported that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to attend the ceremony in Paris along with around 50 other world leaders, including outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill.
Pope Francis will not attend, having announced in September that he would instead make a historic visit to the French island of Corsica.
The exact cause of the fire at the cathedral was never determined, but investigators believe it was accidental, possibly caused by a cigarette or an electrical short circuit.
Before the fire, around 12 million people visited Notre Dame annually. The number of visitors is expected to be even higher after its reopening.
While entry will remain free, visitors will need to reserve tickets online through a ticketing system.
