Emmanuel Macron mocks Trump’s XXL arch: “Paris remains Paris”

French President Emmanuel Macron has mocked a project for a new triumphal arch backed by his US counterpart, Donald Trump, which he says could surpass Paris’s famous monument in size. The remarks were made in an interview reported by Le Figaro and cited by News.ro.

Asked whether the future American monument would overshadow the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Macron replied that “Paris remains Paris,” and that the French monument retains its history and style. The Élysée leader said that such structures are “bigger than us,” after joking that the project was “Trump’s style.”

The American arch is expected to be built near the Potomac River, between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The project calls for a height of approximately 76 meters, compared with nearly 50 meters for the monument in Place Charles-de-Gaulle, and would become the tallest triumphal arch in the world.

The structure would include a gilded figure inspired by the Statue of Liberty, two eagles, and inscriptions bearing religious and patriotic messages. The project was approved by the US Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump. Subsequently, the US president announced that he wanted the monument to also have a military function, allowing it to accommodate drones, snipers, and ammunition.