Macron backs repeal of Code Noir, warns against 'false promises' on reparations
As France marks 25 years since recognising slavery as a crime against humanity, Emmanuel Macron endorses symbolic repeal of 17th and 18th-century royal decrees, urging government to take up the bill.
French President Emmanuel Macron has formally endorsed the symbolic repeal of 17th and 18th-century royal decrees that codified slavery in French colonies, describing their continued existence as an "offence" to the Republic. Speaking at the Elysee presidential palace on Thursday to mark the 25th anniversary of France’s landmark recognition of slavery as a crime against humanity, Macron called for a formal dialogue on reparations while cautioning against making "false promises."
The bill to repeal the Code Noir, which established the legal status of enslaved people, has been backed by lawmakers on the National Assembly's law committee. It now requires a vote in both houses of parliament. Macron stated he is asking the government to take up the measure, arguing that the persistence of these decrees represents a "betrayal of what the Republic stands for."
While France abolished slavery in 1794 under the French Revolution, the practice was restored by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, particularly in Guadeloupe, before being abolished again in 1848. Despite these historical milestones, the royal decrees from the 17th and 18th centuries were never formally overturned, leaving a legal anomaly that Macron sought to address.
The President indicated that he has not yet made a final decision on the specific approach to reparations, emphasising the impossibility of putting a number on the crime or finding words to bring the history to a close. "We must have the honesty to say that we can never fully repair this crime, because it is impossible," Macron said, noting that the issue must not be avoided but requires careful handling.
France, which was the third-largest slave trader in Europe after the British and the Portuguese, has long maintained a policy of seeking to be colour-blind, with racial discrimination considered taboo. However, observers and rights activists have pointed to deep-seated racism within the nation. Calls have been mounting for Macron, whose second and final five-year term ends next year, to initiate a formal dialogue on how France should respond to the enduring legacy of slavery.
