With the weather expected to be rainy in Paris tonight and with the country in the midst of a political storm following the fall of the government, France is preparing to celebrate today the opening of the The Notre Dame de Paris.

At the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, some 40 heads of state and government from around the world will be present, including the President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

US President-elect Donald Trump landed in Paris shortly before 7:00am (local time) this morning to attend events to mark the reopening of Notre Dame, a source at the airport said.

According to another airport source, he traveled on a private plane, as he cannot use the U.S. presidential aircraft as of now. In the afternoon, Donald Trump, who is making his first trip abroad since his election on November 5, will be received at the presidential palace in Elysian.

On his platform, Truth Social, the Republican billionaire had announced his trip to Paris on Monday, weaving his praise for the French president Emanuel Macron, who, according to Trump, “has done a remarkable job of making sure that Notre Dame is restored in a way that will restore it to all its glory and more.”

Trump did not specify whether he expected to hold talks with other leaders, but the French presidency made it known that Donald Trump would be received at the Elysee Palace by the French head of state, who will then receive Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

It is not known whether the Republican billionaire, who has been highly critical of the billions of dollars being released by the US for Ukraine, will hold talks with his Ukrainian counterpart.

The program of event

The festivities will begin at 20.00 GMT, in the courtyard, with the screening of a film describing exactly how the restoration of this church, which is considered a masterpiece of Gothic art and is at least 860 years old, was carried out, and a message from Pope Francis will be read.

A poem by French poet Louis Aragon will also be read by an actor from the Comédie Française. Immediately afterwards, Emmanuel Macron will take the floor, who will give a relatively brief address, followed by a “musical moment.”

Then the gates of Notre Dame de Paris, which have been closed for five years, will reopen to welcome the approximately 2,000 guests to the religious ceremonies. An estimated 40,000 people are expected to gather around Notre Dame de Paris under draconian security measures. Today’s festivities will conclude with a classical music concert featuring internationally renowned virtuosos from many countries around the world.