11 novembre 2010

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Cérémonie de commémoration du 11 novembre 2010
Mr le Secrétaire d’Etat,
Mesdames et messieurs les Ambassadeurs et chargés d’affaires,
Messieurs les officiers généraux et officiers,
Cher amis de la communauté française,
Chers élèves du lycée René Cassin,
En 1918, à 11 heures le 11ème jour du 11ème mois, les cloches des églises de France
et les clairons des combattants du front ont sonné pour marquer la fin du premier
conflit mondial, si terriblement meurtrier, si terriblement absurde. Cette date marque
encore profondément notre mémoire collective, alors même que les vétérans de la
Grande guerre ne sont plus.
On the 11th of November, which marks for France the end of the Great War, we
remember the solidarity of so many of our friends, without whom France’s suffering
would have been prolonged. France today pays tribute not only to her soldiers but
also to her British and American friends, to the soldiers of the Commonwealth, and to
all those who came to defend her.
This year in Paris, my country also commemorates the anniversary of the decision,
taken on the 11th of November 1920, to place the remains of the Unknown soldier
under the Arc de Triomphe, in the heart of Paris, in order to symbolise the sacrifice of
so many young men and the terrible suffering which affected every family and every
village of France.
France also commemorates today an act of bravery and defiance, when, on the 11th
of November 1940, thousands of French citizens decided to demonstrate against the
Nazi occupant by honouring the soldiers of the Great War. In Paris, 4 thousands
students marched to the tune of our national anthem. They collectively expressed, for
the first time, their strong will to resist occupation and collaboration, echoing General
de Gaulle’s call of the 18th of June, from London.
Ladies and gentlemen,
So many years after the tragedy, the meaning of our commemoration is to renew our
determination to preventing war from breaking out again on our continent. We are
indebted to our forefathers and to the victims of the war. It is therefore essential that
we transmit the memory of their suffering to our youth. It is also essential that our
youth cherish what past generations have done to bring peace and reconciliation to
Europe.
A year ago, for the first time, the French President and the German Chancellor stood
side by side in Paris under the Arc de Triomphe to express the strong friendship
between their two peoples, bound by the memory of our common pain. In the
aftermath of the 2 WW, the two former enemies had decided to reconcile and forever
ban any idea of conflict between them. Together with other European countries
severely affected by the two wars, they established the European Union to render
war impossible between them.
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Chers élèves du Lycée René Cassin,
Cette cérémonie s’adresse tout particulièrement à vous, les jeunes.
Le 11 novembre 1918 peut vous paraître bien lointain. Mais c’est à vous que nous
devons transmettre le souvenir des horreurs de la guerre, que nous avons nous
même hérité de nos aînés. Il faut que vous sachiez où peut conduire la folie des
hommes et fassiez tout pour l’empêcher.
En ce moment, à Paris, un hommage est rendu aux milliers de lycéens et d’étudiants
qui, il y a 70 ans, célébrèrent l’Armistice de 1918. Bravant l’interdiction de l’occupant
nazi, ils déposèrent des fleurs sur la tombe du Soldat inconnu. Ils manifestèrent ainsi
leur opposition à l’occupation et à la politique de collaboration. N’oublions pas ces
actes courageux, ni que la paix n’est jamais complètement acquise. Soyez les
fervents défenseurs du plus beau projet de paix que l’Europe ait jamais conçu, sur
les ruines des 2 guerres mondiales, l’Union européenne.
Dear friends,
I would like to express my deep gratitude to the Polish Secretary of State, to my
fellow Ambassadors and diplomats, and to the Defence Attachés, present here today,
for this expression of their great friendship.
Jeg vil til slutt rette en stor takk til representantene fra de norske væpnede styrkene
og fra forsvarsdepartementet, og spesielt til forsvarssjefen for at dere er ved vår side.
Deres tilstedeværelse er et vitnesbyrd om deres vennskap og rører oss sterkt.
I would now like to invite you to a moment of meditation in memory of all the veterans
and victims of the Great War. Je vous invite à observer un moment de méditation à la
mémoire des combattants et victimes de la Grande Guerre./.