Emmanuel Macron placed a bouquet with the French tricolour in front of the main building of CU FA on 5 March 2024 for the victims of the tragedy that took place at the CU FA last December. President Macron was accompanied by his Czech counterpart Petr Pavel. In front of the building, they had a short conversation with the Rector of Charles University Prof Milena Králíčková and the Dean of CU FA Dr Eva Lehečková.
The commemorative meeting was held in front of the memorial plaque of Jan Palach, located on the building of the faculty. The French President expressed his condolences to the survivors of the shooting attack on 21 December 2023. President Emmanuel Macron is known for being very keen to meet and discuss with university students. He was, therefore, deeply affected by this event, which is why he found time in his otherwise very busy schedule to stop by CU FA during his one-day visit to Prague. President Macron also spoke about how close Jan Palach’s values are to his. It was a symbolic visit to CU FA that was deeply appreciated by the Rector of Charles University and the Dean of CU FA.
“I appreciate the fact that the French president came to honour the memory of the victims of the tragedy from among our students and staff on the occasion of his visit to the Czech Republic and that we are commemorating them in this way again,” Rector Prof Milena Králíčková emphasised and recalled that she and the president had also briefly discussed the close relationship between Charles University and the Sorbonne.
The Dean of CU FA, Dr Eva Lehečková, confirmed her words, “It is also essential to us because the French language, literature, and culture have been taught at our faculty for decades. The representatives of the field and the Department of Romance Studies see this as proof that the president perceives the importance of the humanities and the long-standing Czech-French relations in various fields,” the dean said.
President Macron arrived at the faculty accompanied by Czech President Petr Pavel, who had earlier welcomed him at Prague Castle, where the statesmen discussed support for Ukraine and defence cooperation between European countries. President Petr Pavel also paid tribute to the memory of the victims and added a bouquet with the Czech tricolour to accompany the one with the French tricolour.
The full text is available on the Charles University website (author of the text: Helena Zdráhalová; photos by Hynek Glos).
