Flag protocol in France: place of honour and ceremonies

Flag protocol in France rests on republican custom and on decree no. 89-655 of 13 September 1989 on public ceremonies, precedence and civil and military honours. The Ministry of the Interior sums up the practical rules in its protocol guide for mayors. One principle dominates: the national flag always takes the place of honour.

The tricolour and the European flag

The European flag, adopted in 1955 by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (twelve stars on an azure field), is compulsory on public buildings on 9 May and flies permanently at schools. According to the Ministry of the Interior’s guide, when it is displayed it is placed on the right of the French flag, which takes the place of honour. Seen from the front, looking at the building, the European flag is therefore on the left of the national flag.

On a town hall façade, the two flags are often fixed in a cluster on slanting staffs; in front of a building, they fly on two poles of the same height.

The place of honour by number of flags

A 2023 report of the National Assembly cites the definition used in particular in documentation of the Ministry of the Armed Forces. The place of honour is:

• on the right when there are two flags;
• in the centre when there are three flags;
• on the far left when there are more than three flags.

With a foreign flag and the European flag, the Ministry of the Interior’s guide describes the arrangement seen from the front: the foreign flag on the left of the French flag, the European flag on its right, and the French flag in the centre. More on this is in the guide to foreign flags in France.

Foreign, regional and other flags

• Foreign flags: when foreign dignitaries visit, it is traditional to honour them by temporarily flying their country’s flag. If several foreign flags are flown, the order is alphabetical, using the name of each country in its own language. According to the National Assembly report, there is no rule of precedence between foreign flags.
• Regional and departmental flags: according to the Ministry of the Interior, they can have a place at local cultural or folk events, provided this is temporary and the national flag always keeps the place of honour.
• Company and association flags: no official rule covers them. In practice, when they fly beside the tricolour, the national flag keeps the place of honour and all flags are of a similar size.

Ceremonies

The Ministry of the Interior’s guide describes how public ceremonies run in the municipalities:

• Precedence: in departments other than Paris, the prefect comes first, followed by the deputies, the senators, the members of the European Parliament, the president of the regional council, the president of the departmental council and the mayor of the municipality. At a ceremony not prescribed by the Government, the mayor, as host, takes second place after the representative of the State.
• Speeches: they are given in reverse order of precedence; the representative of the State always speaks last. By republican tradition, the mayor of the municipality speaks first.
• Laying of wreaths: this also follows the reverse order of precedence. The prefect lays their wreath last and salutes all the wreaths standing to attention. A minute’s silence and the Marseillaise follow.

The tricolour sash

The mayor’s tricolour sash also follows an order of colours. According to the Ministry of the Interior’s guide, when the mayor wears it around the waist, blue is at the top; worn from the right shoulder to the left side, blue is next to the collar, unlike members of parliament, who place red next to the collar. Mayors wear it with gold-fringed tassels, deputy mayors and councillors, when they stand in for the mayor, with silver-fringed tassels.