This Thursday, in celebration of the 44th anniversary of the abolition of the death penalty, Robert Badinter will officially enter the Panthéon. A national ceremony, presided over by Emmanuel Macron, will honor the journey of this great lawyer and former Keeper of the Seals, who sadly passed away in February 2024. As a result, the heart of the 5th arrondissement « from the rise of Rue Soufflot to the entrance to the Panthéon » will be largely closed off, and traffic will be heavily disrupted all afternoon.
A final tribute to Badinter
The first significant events will kick off on Wednesday evening with a funeral vigil at the Constitutional Council, an institution led by Robert Badinter from 1986 to 1995. Thursday, October 9.
At noon, a symbolic cannon salute will take place in the gardens of the Palais-Royal. Then at 5 PM, Badinter's coffin will begin its solemn procession up Soufflot Street, accompanied by republican music, an expected crowd, and enhanced security. If you're in the area, expect delays or consider changing your route.Voir cette publication sur Instagram
Badinter, a Celebrated French Conscience
The ceremony, described as sober and republican, will last about an hour and will highlight the struggles of the man who championed the abolition of the death penalty in 1981 and the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1982. Several artists and personalities will come to pay tribute: Julien Clerc will perform L’assassin assassiné and Guillaume Gallienne will lend his voice to a text by Victor Hugo, selected by Élisabeth Badinter herself.
For those who prefer to avoid the crowd, the ceremony will be broadcast on television: France 2 will air a special program starting at 5:15 PM, as will TF1, LCI, and TV5Monde. A final tribute to a beloved figure.
key figure in justice and human rights… and a solemn moment that might freeze Paris for one evening.
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