Contrary to the idea of a disenchanted Republic that has relegated its great ceremonies to the accessories store, our IFOP survey for Observatoire histoire et vie publique and Paris Match shows that the French are strongly attached to the pantheon.
On the one hand, the first two representations spontaneously associated with it come from the register of the republican sacred: respect (42%) and solemnity (37%), far ahead of indifference (26%), politicization (23%), elitism (17%) or outdatedness (16%).
On the other hand, 63% of French people feel that it is justified to include in the Pantheon personalities who have left their mark on national history, a majority trend across all political persuasions (LFI: 70%, Renaissance: 78%, Les Républicains: 80%, RN: 59%).
And for the French, what must justify entry is first and foremost the role in French history (83%), commitment to the Republic and its values (77%) and moral exemplarity (74%), with popularity coming last (23%). This hierarchy underscores the historical importance of these figures, as can be seen from the list of the most memorable pantheonizations, largely dominated by Simone Veil (72% of citations, 41% in first place) and Jean Moulin (53%).nnWhen it comes to wishes for new inductees, the French show their preference for accomplished destinies “anchored” in history, with Georges Clemenceau (55% of citations) and Marshal Leclerc (52%) topping the list.
Lastly, the French assign the Panthéon a primarily memorial and educational function: to recognize exemplary achievements (76%), to pass on history to younger generations (71%), and to reinforce the sense of national belonging (66%).
