Macron still refuses to apologize for French colonialism in Algeria

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France's President Emmanuel Macron, has refused to "ask Algeria for forgiveness" for France's colonial past.

More to the point, Macron said in an interview with French weekly Le Point , "I do not have to ask for forgiveness, that is not the matter, the word would break all ties," adding that his only apology was toward the "harkis," meaning Algerians who collaborated with the French army and were not given protection by Paris later on.

When asked about the ongoing dialogue with the Algerian president and discussing the antagonistic relationship between the two countries in the past, Macron said, "The dialogue must continue. This is what interests me more...The worst would be, everybody apologizes and each goes their way."

He hailed the dialogue and emphasized its importance while standing firm against apologizing. Despite not tying him to any financial compensation and being strictly symbolic, Macron was adamant against asking for forgiveness. 

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Macron had rebuffed Algiers' insistence on an apology from France, arguing that it only served to validate its "uniform national narrative, without working on themselves."

In a 2021 interview, the Algerian President insisted that France formally recognize its colonial crimes. In another interview, Macron went as far as denying the existence of Algeria prior to French colonization. Diplomatic ties between the two had sharply deteriorated by the end of that year.  

However, a new era was ushered in the second year, after Macron officially visited Algeria in August 2022. During that visit, a joint committee of historians was established and tasked with confronting the painful past of the two nations.

Read more: France refuses to apologize for its Algerian past