Lula will be the first honoree since Pedro II at the French Academy in Paris

The French Academy, an institution equivalent to the Brazilian Academy of Letters, is preparing an official private session to honor Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Paris in early June.

The tribute is a rare event: since the founding of the academy by Cardinal Richelieu in 1635, only 19 heads of state have been honored in an official session — that is, an average of four per century, according to sources involved in the preparation of the president's program in the French capital. Lula is the second Brazilian to receive this rare honor. The first was Dom Pedro II in 1872.

The tribute is expected to take place on June 5, the day of the official state visit of the Brazilian president to France, according to sources, who also state that the dates are still being discussed and may change. The idea of inviting Lula for the tribute came from the Permanent Secretary of the Academy, the writer Amin Maalouf. Idealized by Richelieu and inspiration for the Brazilian Academy founded by Machado de Assis, the French Academy today has as its patron President Emmanuel Macron and consists of 40 chairs.

During the session, Lula will be welcomed as a member of the academy and the group will discuss a word — which has not yet been defined by the organizers. The debate with the president will enter the annals of the academy if the word discussed is unprecedented.

It may enter the Dictionary of the French Academy — with the note that it was debated with the contribution of the Brazilian president. From the Brazilian side, the intention is to choose an important word for the president, with a concept that he likes.

Pomp in Paris

President Lula is expected to arrive in Paris on June 3 or 4. On June 5, the visit takes place, with the tribute at the French Academy and a grand tribute from President Macron on the Boulevard des Invalides, where the president is to be escorted by soldiers of the republican guard.