Anatomy of a snub: Why was Commission president the no-show of Notre Dame?

Documents seen by Euronews have revealed the short timescale within which Commission President Ursula von der Leyen decided not to attend the reopening of Notre Dame last year, confirming that she appeared set to attend the event a couple of days beforehand.

If the reopening of the iconic cathedral last December was a touchstone event for France following last year’s successful Olympic Games, it was also a fragile moment for Brussels-Paris relations.

Ursula Von der Leyen’s non-attendance at the re-opening ceremony on 7 December 2024 was notable amid a sea of world leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump, on his first foray to Europe after his re-election.

At the time the Commission cited “scheduling issues” as the reason for von der Leyen’s absence.

It’s true that the day before – 6 December – von der Leyen had made a previously unscheduled trip to Montevideo to announce the conclusion of trade talks between the EU and Mercosur, a move strongly resisted by Paris.

“The Commission completed negotiations with Mercosur [countries]; that is its responsibility,” the Elysée said in a statement at the time, adding: “But the agreement has neither been signed nor ratified. So, this is not the end of the story.”

“In the absence of a government, [Mercosur] negotiations were rushed through on Wednesday evening and concluded today,” former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal posted on X. At the time, nodding at the fact that the Montevideo Mercosur clinch came at a delicate moment following the collapse of Michel Barnier’s government.

Did the prospect of a chilly welcome at Notre Dame cause von der Leyen to stay away?

First the press, then Macron

On 6 December the Commission spokesperson’s service told the press that von der Leyen would not be attending the reopening ceremony, but it wasn’t until the afternoon of the following day – hours before the event was about to start – that the EU executive’s Paris office notified the Elysée she wasn’t coming, according to an internal note.

The message – marked high importance and sent to the Élysée’s protocol office – said that von der Leyen had ‘just’ cancelled her visit to Paris on 7 and 8 December.

“With our apologies, and our thanks for your understanding,” the Commission’s message to the French presidency concluded, without any explanation for her absence.

On 9 December, two days after the reopening, a Commission spokesperson said that von der Leyen had never confirmed to the Élysée that she would attend in the first place.

“There were scheduling issues that prevented the president from attending. There had never been an official confirmation to the Élysée for participation precisely because of looming scheduling issues,” Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho told journalists.

But in a letter dated December 4, 2024 – two days before von der Leyen’s Montevideo trip – the president confirmed acceptance of Macron’s invitation to the ceremony.

“I am pleased to confirm my availability to attend this event, which marks the renewal of a monument that is so dear to the hearts of your fellow citizens and also of so many citizens around the world,” von der Leyen wrote to Macron in French.

The following day the Commission’s Paris representation also confirmed that von der Leyen would attend a dinner following the reopening service on the afternoon of the 7th.

The Commission did not reply when asked for comment on von der Leyen’s previous acceptance, and the nature of the “scheduling issues” that prevented her from attending at the time.