Parliament unanimously adopts a framework law to return works looted during colonization

This is a historic vote. After the unanimous vote by the National Assembly on Wednesday, the Senate in turn unanimously adopted, this Thursday, May 7, a framework law facilitating the restitution of works looted during French colonization. "This is a historic moment," declared Culture Minister Catherine Pégard, welcoming France's decision "to open a new chapter" in its history. This legislation fulfills a promise made by Emmanuel Macron during a speech in Ouagadougou in 2017, and comes at a time when the president is undertaking a new African tour, in a context where France has considerably lost its influence on the continent, particularly in the Sahel.

The end of case-by-case laws, a strict framework between 1815 and 1972

Until now, the principle of the inalienability of French public collections required the adoption of a specific law for each restitution, within an already overloaded parliamentary agenda. Nine years after Macron's promise, restitutions can be counted on one hand: 26 treasures from Abomey returned to Benin in 2020, El Hadj Omar's sword to Senegal the same year, and in early 2026, the "Djidji Ayokwe," a talking drum confiscated from Ivory Coast since 1916. The new framework law allows the government to return works by decree, without recourse to Parliament on a case-by-case basis. It applies to property acquired between 1815—the beginning of the second colonial empire—and 1972, the date a UNESCO convention came into force. Two commissions must be consulted for each case: one scientific, the other with parliamentary representation. The text also incorporates a new objective into the missions of French museums: to actively research the provenance of their collections.

There are about ten current demands, and criticisms from both sides.

To date, according to the ministry, about ten requests are pending, but this is expected to accelerate once the law is enacted. China has stated it is "eager to cooperate" with France, citing the sacking of the Summer Palace in Beijing in 1860. Algeria is requesting the personal effects of Emir Abdelkader, Mali pieces from the Ségou treasure, and Benin a statue of the god Gou. On the left, some regret that the time limits do not include the First Empire or the conquest of Egypt, and that the word "colonization" is absent from the text. Green Party MP Jean-Claude Raux warned that the law would be "a mere pose or a sham" without dedicated resources for provenance research. On the right, the far right deplores the lack of conditions for "proper preservation" or restrictions on countries maintaining "cordial" relations with France.