PARIS, May 8 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron led a ceremony here on Tuesday at the iconic Arc de Triomphe to mark the anniversary of the end of the World War II (WWII).
France's youngest head of state since Napoleon Bonapart in 1804 marked his first memorial celebration of the day the German army surrendered on May 8, 1945 by laying a wreath at the statue of Charles de Gaulle, the former president and leader of the French WWII government-in-exile.
Accompanied by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and Defense Minister Florence Parly, he observed a minute of silence ahead of the French national anthem.
He also laid a second wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before walking down Champs Elysees avenue.
TV footage showed him smiling while taking selfies with young students and representatives of associations invited by the Presidency office.
Dogged by critics for his governing style and arrogance, the 40-year-old ex-investment banker has been launching media offensive to profile himself as everyone's president.
According to a recent BVA poll, less than third of respondents thought he was close to the French people.