The text promised in 2017 by Emmanuel Macron will be debated on Monday at 4 p.m. in the hemicycle. It concerns assets acquired between 1815 and 1972.
Decades after the first calls to return artworks to their countries of origin, the National Assembly will handle a long-awaited bill to facilitate France’s restitution of looted artworks during colonization in Africa. The bill, promised by Macron in 2017, will be debated at 4 p.m. in the hemicycle. It was unanimously adopted in the Senate at the end of January.
Requests for restitution are not new, with the first ones dating back to the post-independence era and increasing in the 1970s under UNESCO’s influence. These requests faced resistance from major Western museums, but resurfaced strongly in the early 2010s.
Following his election, Macron made a political promise. Nine years later, only a few restitutions have occurred. France is leading in Europe, with symbolic returns like the 26 treasures from Abomey to Benin and El Hadj Omar’s sword to Senegal in 2020. However, implementing restitutions has been slow due to the inalienability principle of public collections, which requires specific laws and a cumbersome parliamentary agenda.
The draft law only covers assets acquired between 1815 and 1972, from the beginning of the French colonial empire to the UNESCO convention on international restitution.
The delicate diplomatic nature of this law is evident as former colonies now run by hostile regimes towards France could be affected. The National Rally wants to limit restitutions to countries with cordial relationships, particularly targeting Algeria, concerned about a law that validates a discourse on repentance.
The text has sparked debate as some find it problematic that the word “colonization” is absent. The Green group criticizes this omission and sees it as a political error. However, the government believes the law will help soothe memories.
An obstacle remains in the form of the Constitutional Council’s review, as it is uncertain how the law will apply to assets from legacies and donations. Despite this, the government believes the risk of unconstitutionality is minimal. This law complements two previous legislative acts focusing on Nazi-looted property and human remains.
