Macron in Africa: Letting Go, Not Going Anywhere

On May 18, President Emmanuel Macron took part in a Summit alongside African Heads of State, to discuss the continent’s post-Covid economic recovery. The gathering was yet another sign of the importance of the African continent for the French President. Ever since he came to power, President Macron has tried to engage a new strategy towards Africa, as outlined in his flagship Ouagadougou speech in 2017. In order to shed light on this approach, we ask three questions to two journalists, Antoine Glaser and Pascal Airault, authors of Le Piège Africain de Macron (Macron’s African Trap). 

What is the main emphasis of President Macron's Africa strategy?

The common thread of President Macron’s policies for Africa is to favor multilateral actions (e.g. financial assistance, environmental concerns, culture, sport and the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic) over bilateral relations. France no longer has the financial means to be out on a limb in the African continent. Multilateral actions also allow Emmanuel Macron to avoid the tête-à-tête with seemingly unoustable autocrats. Macron is desperately trying to wiggle out of French stamping grounds by increasing his attention to English-speaking African countries, such as South Africa, Nigeria, or Rwanda. As a devout liberal, he seeks to appeal to African businessmen to help French companies free themselves from the political constraints inherited from the postcolonial period.

As soon as he came to power in 2017, Macron positioned himself as a harsh critic of "Françafrique", France's sphere of influence in sub-Saharan Africa, during a speech he gave to Burkinabe students in Ouagadougou. This moment was more than symbolic: three years earlier, in October 2014, these same students had ousted President Blaise Compaoré from power - once one of France's most loyal supporters in the region. Emmanuel Macron made clear that he is no longer willing to rely on the eternal rule of autocrats and repeatedly asserted his support to African civil society. To emphasize his support to the democratic youth in Africa, he has become the first French leader to name French citizens of African origin as state representatives on the continent.

Will he manage to translate his words into actions and to break free from "Françafrique"? What are the challenges he faces in order to do so?

To understand Emmanuel Macron’s "great disillusion" is to know that "Françafrique" does not only describe the cronyism between African and French leaders. "Françafrique" was a political reality for the entire postcolonial period, from the first declarations of independence of African countries in the 1960s to the end of the Cold War in 1989. As a complex political system (including co-opted African leaders), "Françafrique" was at the same time a military, economic and financial endeavor. In return for guaranteeing the personal security of African Heads of State, France could count on their military support. Meanwhile, France faced no Western competition in its sphere of influence, which was placed under the financial authority of the CFA franc.