Calls for a national tribute to Brigitte Bardot have sparked political debate in France, after a senior right-wing figure urged the state to formally honour the late film icon.
Éric Ciotti, leader of the conservative UDR party, said France had a responsibility to pay homage to Bardot, describing her as a modern-day embodiment of Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic, whose likeness she famously represented in the 1960s. Bardot died on Sunday at the age of 91.
Ciotti has launched a public petition calling for a national ceremony, which has gathered more than 23,000 signatures and drawn support from parts of the far right. He has also appealed directly to President Emmanuel Macron to organise an official tribute, arguing that Bardot brought France exceptional international visibility and played a role in advancing women’s freedoms, including attitudes towards abortion.
However, the proposal has been met with resistance from the left. Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure said national homages should be reserved for figures who rendered “exceptional service to the nation”, adding that while Bardot was a cultural icon, she had “turned her back on republican values”. Bardot was convicted multiple times during her life for inciting racial hatred, particularly over remarks targeting Muslims and residents of the French overseas territory of Réunion.
President Macron has nevertheless described Bardot as a “legend of the century” who symbolised personal freedom and artistic audacity. In Nice, mayor Christian Estrosi has announced that an “iconic site” in the city will be named in her honour.
Bardot’s legacy remains deeply divided. Green MP Sandrine Rousseau criticised what she described as the contradiction between Bardot’s commitment to animal welfare and her lack of compassion for migrants, questioning the moral coherence of her positions.
After rising to global fame in the 1956 film And God Created Woman, Bardot appeared in around 50 films before retiring from acting in 1973. She then devoted her life to animal rights activism, living largely out of the public eye in Saint-Tropez at her home, La Madrague.
France has previously held different forms of national tributes, from formal state ceremonies, such as the homage to abolitionist Robert Badinter in 2024, to mass public farewells like that of rock singer Johnny Hallyday in 2017. Some on the left, including Socialist MP Philippe Brun, have said a tribute for Bardot could be justified if approved by the president.
Those close to Bardot have expressed doubts she would have welcomed official ceremonies. Her friend Wendy Bouchard said the actress had long rejected honours and public recognition, preferring simplicity and privacy. Journalist Steven Bellery, who interviewed Bardot earlier this year, said she had wanted a discreet farewell.
Bardot had requested to be buried at her home rather than in a public cemetery, fearing disruption to family graves. Local authorities in Saint-Tropez have confirmed she will receive a private burial in the town’s cemetery overlooking the Mediterranean. Her funeral is scheduled for 7 January at the Notre-Dame de l’Assomption church, with the ceremony broadcast on screens across the town.
