Ruptly
"President of the National Rally Jordan Bardella on Friday paid tribute to the 'free nations' of the Allies, as well as the Free France and resistance forces, during Victory in Europe day commemorations on Friday. He also linked European history during World War II, including themes of collaboration and resistance, to his party’s campaign platform ahead of the 2026 municipal elections and the 2027 presidential race. "On May 8, 1945, exactly 81 years ago to the day, saw the defeat and capitulation of Nazi Germany after six years of a war whose cruelty and barbarism remain unparalleled in the history of humanity. On that day, free nations came once again to shatter the ambitions of domination that threatened to enslave our continent,” Bardella explained during a speech in La Fleche. “The victory of 1945 is not just a military victory; it is first and foremost that of civilisation over barbarism, of light and brotherhood over darkness,” he noted. The National Rally president also delivered his condemnations of the Vichy regime’s collaboration with Nazi Germany. “The Vichy regime was not only the sad face of resignation and submission to the enemy. It was also, and this is unforgivable, that of collaboration with the occupier and the acceptance of the worst,” he stated. “That of the direct participation of the French State in the appalling enterprise of death that spread across Europe, in the executions, the destruction, the deportation from French soil, and then the extermination of millions of Jews all over Europe.” Bardella praised the 'free peoples' of the 'free nations', as well as Free France and French resistance fighters, for their dedication to ending the 'mad project of an eternal empire'. "Destined to last for 1,000 years, built on violence, terror, and negation, was ultimately defeated by the courage of those who refused to yield,” he noted, paying tribute to French forces as 'the guardians of honour’ who preserved the country’s dignity during the occupation. “A France in control of its own destiny, a France true to its word, a France that refuses degradation when others choose submission,” he declared. The choice of La Fleche, a historic town in the Sarthe region, reflects the National Rally’s strategy to strengthen its presence in mid-sized French towns where the party made gains during the first round of municipal voting earlier this year. May 8, 2026, marks the 81st anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, with events around the world commemorating the pivotal moment that ended World War II in Europe."
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