The word patriotism is often misunderstood. In France, it has sometimes been associated with extreme ideologies, which distorts its true meaning. Yet patriotism is not fascism, nor rejection of others. Above all, it is a bond with a land, a memory, and a culture.

To be a patriot is to love one’s country as one loves a family home: not because it is perfect, but because it is filled with memories, voices, landscapes, and gestures passed down through generations.