1,100 experts call for time to rebuild Notre Dame

Over 1,100 French and international architects and heritage experts have called on French President Emmanuel Macron to take the necessary time to ensure good reconstruction work on the fire-damaged Notre Dame Cathedral. In a column published by French newspaper Le Figaro Monday, they urge Macron to "let historians and experts have the time for diagnosis before deciding on the future of the monument." They call for a well-considered, thoughtful and ethical approach and warn against a "political agenda" based on speed.

France's government last week presented a bill aimed at speeding up the reconstruction of Notre Dame that would allow workers to skip some ordinary renovation procedures. Macron has set a goal of rebuilding the cathedral in just five years, which some experts consider simply impossible to achieve.