Paris parade showcases European defence unity as wildfires rage

Emmanuel Macron presided over his final Bastille Day parade in Paris on Tuesday, using the annual military procession to project a unified European front on defence. The French president was joined by Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and two dozen other heads of state.

In a significant break from tradition, about 500 foreign soldiers marched alongside French troops. British forces participated for the first time in roughly two decades, while 25 Ukrainian soldiers and co-pilots flying French Mirage jets represented Kyiv's ongoing war effort. Aircraft from ten European nations, including Germany, Italy and Spain, also took part in the flypast.

The unprecedented multinational presence followed a Monday meeting of western allies in the capital. Macron said it was a great honour to welcome "all the partners in the coalition of the willing and our Ukrainian friends, who will march with us and illustrate its strategic reawakening and our unity." A French official described the parade, which featured nearly 6,700 troops, 98 aircraft, 31 helicopters and 315 vehicles, as a display of "France’s rearmament, France’s strategic autonomy, and Europe’s strategic awakening."

France’s deputy defence minister, Alice Rufo, said the procession showed "a Europe united and determined to support Ukraine in the face of Russia, a Europe that is confident in itself." The official added it sent "a strong signal that Europe is waking up to how dangerous the world has become."

Climate strain on emergency services

However, the display of military strength was tempered by severe domestic climate disruptions. A third summer heatwave pushed temperatures into the high 30s across much of the country, prompting local authorities to cancel traditional firework displays and firefighters' balls. The cancellations aimed to prevent heat exhaustion and preserve emergency resources.

Firefighters continued to battle two blazes in the Fontainebleau forest, about 60 kilometres south-east of Paris. Roughly 850 personnel and four water-bombing planes drawing from the Seine worked to contain fires that had destroyed about 2,050 hectares, or 10% of the former royal hunting ground, by midday Tuesday. Around 1,000 people have been forced from their homes, and police have arrested two suspects, including an 18-year-old man, on suspicion of arson.

The broader environmental toll is accelerating. Interior minister Laurent Nuñez noted that 32,000 hectares have burned nationally so far this year, exceeding the entirety of the 2025 fire season, with traditionally cooler regions like Brittany now affected.

The national holiday also carried a sombre tone, marking the 10th anniversary of the Nice terror attack that killed 86 people. The Eiffel Tower fireworks were moved to Monday out of respect for the victims, and a minute's silence will precede the French football team's World Cup semi-final against Spain on Tuesday evening.