Just like the two previous assessments of the restoration performed on the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral after the devastating 2019 fire, the third report published by the Court of Accounts, on Wednesday, September 3, was particularly laudatory. "Six years after the fire, the unanimously acclaimed success of the reconstruction of the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, within the deadline set on the evening of the fire by the president of the Republic, is simultaneously due to the ambition of a constantly reaffirmed timeline, a large budget made possible by the generosity of donors, and, finally, the creation of a dedicated public authority with a time-limited mission, led and embodied by General Georgelin, and then by his 'right hand,' Philippe Jost," wrote France's public audit institution, days before the cathedral's two towers were to be reopened for visits.

Indeed, the restoration work, which culminated in the cathedral reopening to the public on December 8, 2024, "was performed within a tight schedule and at a controlled cost," wrote the auditors. Much of this achievement was attributed to the effectiveness of the ad hoc public structure Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris, whose mission will end on December 31, 2028, when the restoration of the exterior facades is expected to be completed, as well as to the generosity of donating patrons.

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