80th anniversary of D-Day

80 years ago, on 6 June 1944, more than 156,000 American, British, Canadian and French soldiers landed in Normandy to surprise and overwhelm the Nazis in Western Europe. This decisive episode of the Second World War has since been remembered as the Homeric symbol of the strength of the Western Democracies united in the face of totalitarianism and obscurantism. Each commemoration, with the veterans and witnesses of this ‘longest day’, is an opportunity for Western heads of state to celebrate this old alliance. But what remains of it?

In Europe, the nationalist and identity-based ideas that gave rise to fascism and war are making a barely disguised comeback, and are set to be a big hit in the elections on 9 June. On the American side, Trump’s fans are advocating isolation and abandoning the NATO countries in the face of Russia. Russia was not invited to the commemorations… Although the world has changed a great deal, today’s tensions are reminiscent of the wars of yesterday.

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