France Marks 25 Years Since Landmark Slavery Law
The anniversary has revived debate over reparations, while MPs advance a bill to repeal the Code Noir and expand slavery education.
- On Wednesday, members of the National Assembly's Law Commission unanimously backed a bill to formally repeal the "Code Noir," a collection of 17th and 18th-century royal decrees that regulated slavery in French colonies.
- Marking the 25th anniversary of the Taubira Law, which recognized the Atlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity, the repeal highlights France's ongoing efforts to address its colonial legacy.
- During debates, Martinique MP Jiovanny William argued the vote must initiate a process, stating, "This vote must mark the start of a process, not its conclusion. Beyond the essential work of remembrance, can there be forgiveness without reparations?"
- The approved bill calls for a government report on colonial law and its consequences rather than endorsing direct reparations, reflecting the French government's current caution regarding concrete commitments.
- French President Emmanuel Macron launched a separate commission examining the 19th-century indemnity France imposed on Haiti, while campaigners continue pushing for broader recognition of colonial-era harms.
14 Articles
14 Articles
The Local - Fr
Macron urges caution on reparations as France confronts slavery legacy
President Emmanuel Macron endorsed the symbolic repeal of royal decrees that governed slavery in French colonies, as France confronts its history and the sensitive issue of reparations.
Macron Supports the Repeal of the "Black Code" Which Has Become a "Treason for What the Republic Is"
At the Elysée, Emmanuel Macron considered that the symbolic preservation of these texts organizing slavery in the French colonies had become "a form of offense".
French President Emmanuel Macron supported on Thursday the symbolic abrogation of the Black Code, which was committed by Parliament, and spoke extensively of his reflection on the sensitive issue of reparations for slavery which, in his opinion, presuppose first recognition and which will never be possible to be total, reports AFP.
The Head of State announced his support for the repeal of the "Black Code" while reflecting on the concept of "reparation" linked to slavery. The text is to be discussed on 28 May at the
France confronts enduring legacy of slavery, 25 years on from Taubira Law
France is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Taubira Law, landmark legislation that recognised the transatlantic slave trade and slavery as crimes against humanity – amid renewed debate over reparations and the legacy of colonialism.
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