The battle over how Notre-Dame will be reconstructed has been raging between the French parliament and the Senate in the months following the blaze which devastated the monument back in April.
But on Tuesday, the French lower parliament – the Assemblée national – will have the final say on the restoration bill.
The two authorities have been at loggerheads, with the Senate arguing that the monument should be restored exactly how it was before the devastating fire while the government wanted to find a more “inventive reconstruction” – in the words of French President Emmanuel Macron.
READ ALSO:
- IN PICTURES: Seven amazing ideas for the restoration of Notre Dame
- Should France break with historic rules so Notre-Dame can be restored in five years?
- Fancy taking a dip in a Paris pool on the roof of Notre Dame?
Photo: AFP
In fact, the government had launched an international architecture competition to debate ideas on the restoration, with suggestions including a rooftop garden, an 'endless spire' of light and a swimming pool on top of the building, before the Senate took a stand.
On top of that many members of the Senate, dominated by the right-wing opposition, have been especially critical of President's Macron's promise to finish reconstruction within five years.
The dispute has led to several readings in the French parliament, with the first reading held in May before the Senate made its changes followed by a second reading in early June.
After it was rejected in June, a joint commission of French MPs and senators worked on the bill together in an attempt to reach a compromise between the traditionalists and the modernists.
This version will come before the French parliament where MPs will have the final say on Tuesday.
The bill outlines a national subscription project to be put in place in order to manage funds collected, making donations made from April 16th through December 31st eligible for a deduction of 75 percent, up to €1,000.
Member comments