President Emmanuel Macron endorsed the symbolic repeal of archaic royal decrees that historically governed slavery within France’s former global colonies.
This decisive executive move arrives as the French nation increasingly confronts its historical legacy and the highly sensitive issue of reparations.
With his final presidential term concluding next year, Macron faces mounting public pressure to initiate a formal, comprehensive national dialogue.
While slavery was permanently abolished in 1848, the notorious seventeenth-century colonial laws known as the Code Noir were never formally overturned.
Speaking at the Elysee Palace, Macron condemned the enduring existence of these royal decrees as a betrayal of republican values.
The French president explicitly requested the government to advance the new legislative bill aimed at purging these codes from law.
A legislative committee recently backed the bill, which must now successfully pass through votes in both houses of parliament.
Macron acknowledged the immense and sensitive nature of the reparations question, warning against the danger of making any false promises.
He noted that society can never fully repair this historical crime, stating that a definitive monetary value cannot be assigned.
The leader indicated that a final executive decision on financial compensation for descendants of enslaved people has not been reached.
Activists continue to highlight deep-seated systemic racism in France, which historically ranked as Europe’s third-largest transatlantic slave-trading power.