President Emmanuel Macron presided over a ceremony at Mont Valérien on Thursday, June 18, 2026, to mark the 86th anniversary [1] of the Appeal of 18 June.
The event honors the legacy of General Charles de Gaulle, whose 1940 broadcast from London served as the foundational call for the Free French Forces to resist Nazi occupation. By commemorating this event, the French state reaffirms its national identity, and the historical continuity of the Republic's resistance against totalitarianism.
The ceremony took place at Mont Valérien, a site near Paris that serves as a primary memorial for the French Resistance [2]. The site is historically significant as a location where many prisoners of war and resistance fighters were executed during the Second World War.
General de Gaulle issued the original appeal on June 18, 1940 [1]. This broadcast urged French citizens and soldiers to continue fighting despite the collapse of the French government and the onset of German occupation. The appeal established the legitimacy of the Free French movement, which sought to liberate France and restore its sovereignty.
Macron's presence at the memorial on June 18, 2026 [2], underscores the enduring importance of the 86th anniversary [1] in contemporary French civic life. The anniversary serves as a yearly reminder of the transition from defeat to liberation, bridging the gap between the wartime generation and modern citizens.
The event was attended by state officials and military representatives at the Mont Valérien memorial site [2]. The proceedings focused on the values of courage and national resilience that the 1940 call originally inspired.
“The event honors the legacy of General Charles de Gaulle”
The annual commemoration of the Appeal of 18 June functions as more than a historical marker; it is a strategic tool for the French presidency to align current national leadership with the prestige of General de Gaulle. By centering the ceremony at Mont Valérien, the government emphasizes the physical sacrifice of the Resistance, linking the intellectual call to arms from London with the tangible blood shed on French soil.
