Gaëlle Paty calls on Emmanuel Macron after the Minister of National Education’s remarks about the pantheonization of his brother, Samuel Paty

In an interview with Le Parisien, the sister of the history-geography professor assassinated in 2020 by an Islamist terrorist believes that Samuel Paty “has his place in the Pantheon”.

Monday March 30, a petition was launched on change.org to request the pantheonization of Samuel Paty. As of Thursday April 2, it had already collected 30,000 signatures. The request was launched by Gaëlle Paty, one of Samuel Paty’s sisters. The text introducing the petition explains that the objective is also to pay tribute “to all teachers” by the entry of Samuel Paty into the Pantheon. The initiative was joined by numerous personalities such as the former Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve or the philosopher Élisabeth Badinter, for example.

But on RTL, the Minister of Education Édouard Geffray was unfavorable to this option. Gaëlle Paty responds to this refusal in an interview published Friday April 3 in Le Parisien. The minister explained that he was not certain that the assassination of Samuel Paty “corresponds to the canons of entry to the Pantheon”. A position that the teacher and bookseller says she does not understand, “especially since he has no say in it,” she adds. She underlines that “her predecessor, Anne Genetet”, former Minister of Education, “finds it incredible that this is not obvious, for a Minister of National Education”.

A direct message to Emmanuel Macron

Gaelle Paty explains that she wishes to speak directly to the head of state because he is “the only one who can decide on entry into the Pantheon”. According to her, it is “him who must be convinced” and to achieve this she says she needs to “obtain a sort of consensus within the French population”. A consensus which is not “decreed” but is built, which involves in particular “pedagogy to demonstrate that (Samuel Paty) has his place in the Pantheon”.

Although she has not yet been able to meet the President of the Republic in person to discuss her request, she says she was able to “present (her) arguments” with the other members of her team “to representatives of the state” without being authorized to give further details. details. When the decision is made, Gaelle Paty assures that “everyone will be informed”.