© AP Photo/Thibault Camus, left, Ludovic Marin, pool via AP
What place for Africa in the programs of the two candidates for the second round of the French presidential election?
Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen have been pounding the pavement once more since Monday. They have nine days left to convince voters. As on many subjects, their proposals differ markedly on Africa. When the outgoing president intends to “continue” to make the continent “a strategic and priority axis” of his foreign policy, the far-right candidate wishes to address French-speaking Africa as a priority by highlighting the migration issue. .
You might see a paradox there. Emmanuel Macron’s “African” record is regularly highlighted by his relatives. And yet, there is almost nothing on the subject in his program. Forgot? Communication failure? None of this, defends those around him: if there are no new commitments, it is because in the event of re-election, the president will continue on the path started in November 2017 in Ouagadougou. “ Changing France’s relationship with the African continent is not something that can be done in five years, it’s really something that lasts longer “, we say within his campaign team, following having assured that “ Africa will continue to be an absolutely strategic and priority axis of France’s foreign policy ».
Commemorative work on colonization in Algeria, recognition of France’s role in the genocide of the Tutsis in Rwanda, return of works of art to the continent, reform of the CFA franc… Emmanuel Macron – if he is re-elected – should s in line with these developments initiated over the past five years. To do this, it should in particular implement some of the proposals formulated last October in Montpellier by Cameroonian intellectual Achille Mbembe. Such as the setting up of an innovation fund for democracy, the creation in France of a “house of African worlds” and the deployment of a “nomadic space campus” intended to promote the mobility of students and researchers .
Oppositions on immigration and memorial politics
A program a thousand miles from that of Marine Le Pen. And for good reason: the leader of the National Rally approaches Africa above all through the prism of migration. On this subject, his program wants to be very firm: end of jus soli, abolition of family reunification, limitation of the right of asylum, hardening of access to French nationality. And, beyond that, national preference which would give priority to the French in terms of housing, employment and social benefits.
On Wednesday, during a press conference devoted to foreign policy issues, the far-right candidate announced her intention to ” condition any new granting of visas for the benefit of Algerian nationals, any authorization of transfers of funds, any acquisition of property in France by an Algerian dignitary, by the readmission by the Algerian consular authorities in France “. Before specifying the substance of his thought: “ Algerians who already live in France and behave in accordance with French law, respect our habits and customs and love France, have no reason not to stay. The others, admittedly a minority, will have to leave ».
More radical on immigration, the far-right candidate also wants to be in direct opposition to the committed memory policy by Emmanuel Macron on Rwanda and Algerian colonization. ” If it is a question of reconciling memories by flagellating in front of Algeria which does not stop demanding acts of repentance, me as far as I am concerned, it will be no “, she explained on March 18, “ unless Algeria itself asks forgiveness from the harkis for the way they behaved towards them “. His project to defend France’s place on the continent? The establishment of a French-speaking union and a policy of co-development with West Africa.
Le Pen in favor of the departure of French troops from the central Sahel
On the Sahel, Marine Le Pen takes a very critical look at Barkhane. She who qualifies this operation and the withdrawal of French forces of Mali, of failure “. The National Rally candidate is considering a departure of French forces from the central Sahel, but not from the rest of the region. “ It will be necessary to maintain a force also according to what the States wantvalued Louis Aliotthe RN mayor of Perpignan. Chad is a good partner in quotes to fight once morest a certain number of excesses and terrorist actions on the ground. We have a common history, many Africans live in France. So, advances this spokesperson for Marine Le PenFrance, necessarily, it must be there to maintain a presence ».
A subject on which the difference with Emmanuel Macron seems less marked. If the latter is re-elected, the transformation of the French military should continue. Transformation which will be characterized by fewer French soldiers on the ground and on the front line, but soldiers more in support of the local armies. With Niger, as France’s new number one ally in the region.