Morning opening: Bastille Day
Jakub Krupa
Over 300 vehicles and 6,500 soldiers will march down the iconic Champs-Élysées in central Paris this morning as part of today’s Bastille Day celebration in Paris, which is set to “send a strategic signal” about France and Europe’s military awakening.
Marking the importance of international cooperation, the parade will also include 500 troops from the countries involved in the Coalition of the Willing, including Germany, and 25 soldiers from Ukraine.
It will be Emmanuel Macron’s tenth – and final – parade ahead of next year’s presidential election. He has a strong guest list this year, though, with many leaders staying overnight after yesterday’s talks on Ukraine, including Volodymyr Zelenskyy himself.
The parade begins 10am local time (9am BST) and we will show it here, bringing you all the key updates.
Elsewhere, we are expecting some news from Brussels with Albania, Moldova, Montenegro and Ukraine all making progress in their accession talks with the European Union.
Marta Kos, the EU’s enlargement commissioner, called it a “Super Tuesday.”
“In the for more than two decades, we have not had four accession conferences in one day, and this will happen today,” she said.
Montenegro is the frontrunner to join the EU next with more than half of “clusters” closed, Kos said, but all four countries are making good progress in delivering the reforms requested of them.
Lots for us to cover.
I will bring you all the latest here.
It’s Tuesday, 14 July 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
Key events
Jakub Krupa
Just a reminder that you can watch it all live with us here:
We can also see the multinational Nato batallion stationed in Estonia, including the French 3rd Marine Artillery Regiment, among others.
Troops from Coalition of the Willing march down Champs-Élysées
And we now have the troops from the Coalition of the Willing marching down Champs-Élysées.
Flags of Albania and Australia at the front, but I can also see Austria, Belgium, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden among others…
A group of Ukrainian troops march at the end, saluting the leaders, and getting very warm applause.
Macron, Zelenskyy and other leaders are watching on from the tribune.
Patrouille de France fly over Champs-Élysées
Et voilà! Patrouille de France are now in the air, flying over the Champs-Élysées to release colourful vapors that form a French flag.
(Yes, of course I will show you pictures as soon as we have them!)
They are flanked by two Mirage 2000 aircraft, piloted by French pilots, but accompanied by Ukrainian pilots undergoing training with the French air force.
They are then followed by aircraft from the French and other allied forces, including an absolutely massive plane with an AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) radar.
Bastille Day parade’s guest list shows evolution of Macron’s thinking – snap analysis
Jakub Krupa
As Macron climbs up the honorary tribune and joins other leaders attending the parade, let me make one observation.
There is something symbolic in how Macron approaches his last parade as he nears the end of his term next year compared to the first one in 2017.
Back then, he was keen to impress the freshly inaugurated US president Donald Trump, just starting his first term, who was invited as his guest of honour. He even got the French army band to play Daft Punk’s Get Lucky to woo his counterpart!
Ten years on, he oversees his last parade surrounded by mostly European leaders – Zelenskyy, Merz, Starmer, Frederiksen, Tusk and others – in an attempt to send a clear signal about Europe’s re-emerging power.
The Élysée Palace says the parade will be “a powerful symbol of Europe that is becoming aware of how dangerous the world is and that it must take its destiny into its own hands”.
Jakub Krupa
Macron reportedly hates talking to his entourage about his “lasts” as he is now well into the last year of his presidency, but surely it’s a moving personal moment for him too as he takes part in this ceremony in this role for the final time.
Here is the first big moment of the day as the Garde républicaine plays the French national anthem, “La Marseillaise”.
Macron is not singing, but Lecornu behind him – very much is.
Back to Paris this morning, Macron has now gone the full length of Champs-Élysées inspecting the troops and enthusiastically waving to the gathered crowds and got to the end, where he is formally welcomed by his PM, Sébastien Lecornu.
The Bastille Day celebrations started already last night, with a big firework display near the Eiffel Tower.
But as France continues to battle extreme temperatures and raging wildfires, authorities in several regions banned the broader use of fireworks by the general public.
Temperatures are expected to hit 35C in Paris later today, but for now it’s a cool 27C.
Macron is here, welcomed by the French chief of defence, among others.
He’s off to inspect the parade driving around the Arc de Triomphe in his role as the commander in chief.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, is expected imminently, travelling in an armoured car with bright French flag-coloured lights adorning its grille.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy arrives next, to warm applause from the public and the other leaders.
Britain’s outgoing prime minister Keir Starmer is the latest leader to arrive just now, in a black Range Rover.
He gets a warm welcome from Brigitte Macron and PM Sébastien Lecornu.
Leaders arrive for Bastille Day parade in Paris – in pictures
Bastille Day parade in Paris – watch live
You can watch our live stream of the Bastille Day parade in Paris here, with final preparations now under way before the event starts soon.
Most leaders are already in their premium seats, including French PM Sébastien Lecornu, with France’s Emmanuel Macron expected shortly before the start at 10am (9am UK).
Morning opening: Bastille Day
Jakub Krupa
Over 300 vehicles and 6,500 soldiers will march down the iconic Champs-Élysées in central Paris this morning as part of today’s Bastille Day celebration in Paris, which is set to “send a strategic signal” about France and Europe’s military awakening.
Marking the importance of international cooperation, the parade will also include 500 troops from the countries involved in the Coalition of the Willing, including Germany, and 25 soldiers from Ukraine.
It will be Emmanuel Macron’s tenth – and final – parade ahead of next year’s presidential election. He has a strong guest list this year, though, with many leaders staying overnight after yesterday’s talks on Ukraine, including Volodymyr Zelenskyy himself.
The parade begins 10am local time (9am BST) and we will show it here, bringing you all the key updates.
Elsewhere, we are expecting some news from Brussels with Albania, Moldova, Montenegro and Ukraine all making progress in their accession talks with the European Union.
Marta Kos, the EU’s enlargement commissioner, called it a “Super Tuesday.”
“In the for more than two decades, we have not had four accession conferences in one day, and this will happen today,” she said.
Montenegro is the frontrunner to join the EU next with more than half of “clusters” closed, Kos said, but all four countries are making good progress in delivering the reforms requested of them.
Lots for us to cover.
I will bring you all the latest here.
It’s Tuesday, 14 July 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.