KING Felipe VI and president Pedro Sánchez were in Paris on Sunday to join the centenary celebrations of the Armistice, which put an end to World War I on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.
Sánchez and his wife Begoña Gómez arrived at the Élysées Palace at around 10.10 yesterday, where they were greeted by their French counterparts, Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte.
The Spanish leader had previously tweeted that the First World War, known at the time as the Great War, 'shifted the foundations of the world', and called for 'more Europe than ever' 100 years on.
“We share a history, values and a common plan. Let's learn from our past mistakes and build a future in peace,” Sánchez wrote on his social media site.
King Felipe arrived shortly afterwards, one of around 70 heads of State who joined the Armistice centenary celebrations, along with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and King Mohammed VI of Morocco, a close friend of King Felipe's father, King Juan Carlos I.
A sea of poppies across the globe worn by Europeans and anyone with ancestors in the Great War – or in subsequent conflicts – turned the world red yesterday and hundreds of thousands observed a minute's silence at 11.00 in memory of the troops who lost their lives or were physically or psychological maimed in what is thought to be one of the most wasteful wars in international history.
It was on November 11 a century ago that the Allied Forces and the Germans signed a treaty of peace in a woods in Compiègne, to the north of Paris, and troops were brought back from the Western Front.
For many, it was too late, with shell-shock having destroyed any chance of leading a normal life again.
During the 100-year anniversary event, US president Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, both present, opted to head straight for the public gathering at the Arc de Triomphe and not to visit the Élysées Palace where other heads of State were mingling.
Macron's speech is likely to become one of the most-quoted in history - the French leader's address to those present included a message to those who consider themselves patriotic by shutting out the rest of the world: “Patriotism is the exact opposite to nationalism. Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism,” he said.
After lunch, Pedro Sánchez took part in the Forum for Peace event set up by Macron in a bid to encourage a multi-lateral approach to world governing.
Photographs of the event showed poignant moments – Frau Merkel and M. Macron embracing, a symbol of peace a century on from when their countries were sworn enemies shelling and shooting each other on the Western Front – and of 70 or so leaders looking to the sky, a picture captioned by Macron with the cryptic, “Could this be the photo of a final moment of unity before a new world disorder?”
Opponents of the British government's decision to leave the European Union point out that the Armistice centenary celebrations were a sign of what the 'club' was originally created for and how it had achieved its aim: that of peace and cooperation between nations in an attempt to avoid armed conflict and to work towards quality of life for its citizens.
The above photograph shows King Felipe VI greeting Emmanuel Macron at the entrance to the Élysées Palace, taken by the Royal Household.
