French President Emmanuel Macron has reignited debate over reparations for France’s historic role in the transatlantic slave trade, acknowledging that the issue must be confronted while cautioning against offering unrealistic expectations.
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| French President Emmanuel Macron - Liam McBurney/PA |
Speaking at the Élysée Palace during an event marking 25 years since France officially recognised slavery and the slave trade as crimes against humanity, Macron said the question of reparations could no longer be ignored.
“How to repair … is a question that must not be refused,” Macron said. “It’s also a question on which we must not make false promises.”
His use of the term “reparations” marked a significant shift in French political discourse, as previous presidents had largely avoided the word altogether. However, Macron stopped short of outlining any concrete proposals or financial compensation plans, either domestically or internationally.
“We must have the honesty to say that we can never fully repair this crime, because it is impossible. You will never one day be able to put a number on it, or find words that would bring this history to a close,” he added.
Macron announced that France and Ghana would jointly launch an international scientific research initiative aimed at studying the legacies of enslavement and developing recommendations for policymakers.
The French president stressed that France could not build its national identity “on denial” and said the country had a responsibility to fully acknowledge its historical role in slavery and colonialism.
He also expressed support for a parliamentary proposal seeking the symbolic repeal of the infamous “Code Noir,” a set of royal decrees introduced during the 17th and 18th centuries that legally regulated slavery in French colonies. Although slavery was abolished long ago, the decrees were never formally revoked.
Macron described the continued existence of the laws as “a form of offence” and “a betrayal of what the Republic stands for.”
“That is why I am asking the government to take up the bill aimed at repealing the Code Noir,” he said.
The remarks came during commemorations of the 25th anniversary of France’s landmark 2001 law recognizing slavery as a crime against humanity, legislation championed by former French Guiana lawmaker Christiane Taubira.
Despite emphasizing the importance of education, memorials, historical recognition and academic research, Macron did not outline a broader national framework to address racial inequality and discrimination that many activists view as direct consequences of slavery and colonialism.
France’s renewed debate on reparatory justice comes amid mounting political pressure and growing international scrutiny. In March, France, alongside several European nations including the UK, abstained during a United Nations vote describing the transatlantic slave trade as the “gravest crime against humanity” and calling reparations “a concrete step towards remedying historical wrongs.”
The abstention drew criticism from French politicians and activists. Victorin Lurel accused France of committing a “moral, historic, diplomatic and political mistake” that had damaged the country’s international image.
From the 16th to the 19th centuries, France became Europe’s third-largest slave-trading power after Portugal and Britain. Historians estimate France was responsible for trafficking and enslaving roughly 13% of the estimated 13 to 17 million Africans forcibly transported across the Atlantic.
Campaigners have increasingly urged France to launch a formal national dialogue on reparatory justice. Among them is Dieudonné Boutrin, head of the International Federation of Descendants of the History of Slavery. Boutrin, whose ancestors were trafficked from Benin to Martinique, has worked alongside Pierre Guillon de Princé, a descendant of Nantes slave traders who recently issued a public apology for his family’s historical involvement in transporting enslaved Africans to the Caribbean.
Together, they urged Macron to open discussions on reparatory justice, arguing that such a process could “restore trust between our communities, acknowledge the reality of history, foster a spirit of brotherhood, and heal the psychological wounds suffered by communities of colour who have been made to feel inferior.”
“Slavery is a wound whose scars are still visible through racism, the spread of which we have so far been unable to halt,” they wrote.
France’s overseas territories, including Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion and Mayotte, remain central to the reparations debate. Local politicians and activists in these regions frequently argue that social and economic inequalities — including disparities in healthcare, employment, environmental safety and living costs — are rooted in slavery and colonial rule.
France is also under pressure from Haiti over the enormous financial debt imposed after the Haitian Revolution. In 1825, France demanded compensation from Haiti for former slave owners, a debt many Haitians blame for generations of economic hardship. The debt was not fully repaid until 1947.
Earlier this year, Macron announced a joint commission with Haiti to examine the issue, with findings expected later in 2025.
France’s slavery history remains especially controversial because the country abolished slavery during the French Revolution in 1794, only for Napoleon Bonaparte to restore it in 1802 in several French colonies, including Guadeloupe. Slavery was permanently abolished again in 1848, though compensation at the time was awarded to slave owners rather than the formerly enslaved.
As Macron approaches the end of his second and final presidential term, the debate over slavery, reparations and systemic racism has become increasingly prominent in French political life, especially amid rising concerns over discrimination and the growing strength of the far right ahead of the 2027 presidential election.