France’s Macron is inaugurated for his second five-year term

PARIS – French President Emmanuel Macron will be sworn in for a second term at a ceremony at the Presidential Palace of the Elysee on Saturday.

Macron was re-elected to a five-year term in a runoff on April 24, in which he defeated far-right rival Marine Le Pen.

Around 500 guests are expected to attend the ceremony, where the President of the Constitutional Council will read the election results.

Macron is presented with the necklace of the Grand Master of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest decoration, before delivering a speech.

He will then go to the gardens of the Elysée Palace and listen to 21 cannon shots fired from Invalides Square to traditionally celebrate the event.

Macron will also check the military. Troops present at the ceremony include part of the crew of the Monge, the French Navy’s second largest ship, which is key to France’s nuclear deterrent. It was notably used for testing France’s nuclear-capable submarine-launched M51 missiles.

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The symbol can be seen as a show of power at a time when France is deeply involved in stopping Russia’s war against Ukraine, including by sending in truck-mounted cannons and other heavy weapons.

Macron’s second term officially begins on May 14.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the 2022 French presidential election at https://apnews.com/hub/french-election-2022