Africa-Press. French President Emmanuel Macron announced his support for the symbolic repeal of the “Black Law,” a set of royal decrees issued during the 17th and 18th centuries to regulate slavery in French colonies.
Macron’s stance came during a ceremony held at the Élysée Palace to mark the 25th anniversary of the Taubira Law, which recognized the slave trade and slavery as crimes against humanity.
The French president urged the government to adopt the bill, which received unanimous approval from a parliamentary committee, to be presented to the National Assembly on May 28.
Although the texts of the “Black Law” have effectively become obsolete and have no legal effect, they have not been officially repealed to date.
Macron considered the continued existence of these texts to be a “mistake” and a “betrayal of the values of the French Republic.”
He also addressed the issue of reparations related to slavery, a topic that continues to spark renewed debate both within France and internationally.
Macron described the discussion on reparations as “incomplete thinking,” asserting that the first form of reparations is “recognition” of the crimes committed.
At the same time, he emphasized the need not to ignore this “huge issue,” warning against what he termed “false promises.”
He stated, “We must be honest and acknowledge that we will never be able to fully rectify this crime, as that is impossible.”
During the event, former French Minister of Justice Christiane Taubira commented on a recent decision by the United Nations General Assembly, led by Ghana, which described slavery and the trafficking of enslaved Africans as “the gravest crimes against humanity.”
France, along with several European countries, abstained from voting on the resolution.
Paris justified its position by rejecting the establishment of a hierarchy among crimes against humanity, a stance that Macron reiterated during his speech.
Nevertheless, the French president acknowledged that the demands for justice and reparations raised by several African countries and civil organizations “cannot be ignored.”
In this context, Macron announced the launch of a joint international scientific project with Ghana aimed at preparing “practical and concrete recommendations for policymakers.”
The French president did not clarify whether this initiative would eventually lead to proposals for financial or symbolic reparations related to the history of slavery.
This move is part of France’s declared efforts to continue working on the memory issue related to slavery and its historical repercussions, at a time when the debate over reparations is increasingly intensifying on the international stage, particularly from African countries and human rights organizations demanding broader recognition of the historical responsibility of European colonialism and the slave trade.
