Debate rages on in France after Algeria’s criminalization of colonization
French political, academic circles divided as Algeria’s draft law shifts colonial memory dispute from politics to legal arena
PARIS, France (MNTV) — Algeria’s parliamentary move to criminalize French colonialism has triggered renewed debate across France’s political and intellectual circles, with reactions ranging from calls for historical accountability to accusations of hostility toward the French state.
The draft law, recently approved by Algeria’s lower house of parliament, frames French colonial rule in Algeria as a criminal act and opens the door to potential legal claims, including demands linked to reparations.
While supporters in Algeria see the step as a natural evolution of a longstanding dispute, critics in France argue it challenges national symbols and reopens unresolved historical wounds.
French public broadcaster Radio France described the Algerian initiative as a rupture in how colonial history is addressed, noting that it reflects a broader international trend among formerly colonized states seeking legal recognition of past abuses.
The assessment followed an international conference on colonial crimes held in Algiers late last year.
During a Radio France program on January 12, geopolitical researcher Adlane Mohammadi and Le Monde Diplomatique editor-in-chief Akram Belkaid discussed the implications of the draft law, which France’s Foreign Ministry has labelled an “openly hostile act.”
Belkaid said Algeria had for decades pursued the issue politically, limiting its demands to official apologies, but shifted toward legal mechanisms after repeated French inaction.
Belkaid stressed that the proposed law does not target contemporary France or its citizens, but rather addresses a specific historical period that remains deeply contested within French society.
He noted that while left-leaning groups tend to condemn the colonial era, right-wing and far-right factions often reject such interpretations, viewing Algeria’s independence as a strategic loss.
Mohammadi argued that France has yet to fully confront its historical responsibilities, pointing in particular to unresolved Algerian requests for nuclear test maps and assistance in cleaning areas contaminated by nuclear and chemical waste dating back to and beyond independence.
Analysts say the Algerian legal approach is likely to intensify debate within France, especially among conservative politicians who see the move as an affront to national dignity. Figures from the Republican right and potential presidential contenders have already voiced strong opposition.
The controversy has also spilled into France’s historical discourse. Historian Jean Sévillia recently questioned the criminalization of colonial-era figures such as Marshal Robert Bugeaud, the 19th-century governor-general who led Algeria’s conquest, arguing that the debate risks blurring the line between historical analysis and ideology.
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