"France's parliament on Thursday definitively adopted legislation to simplify the return of artworks looted during the colonial era to their countries of origin. It comes as President Emmanuel Macron, who has gone further than his predecessors in admitting France's colonial-era abuses, is set to embark on a new tour of Africa on Saturday. France still holds tens of thousands of artworks and other prized artefacts that it looted from its colonial empire."
"After unanimous backing from the French parliament's lower house on Wednesday and the upper house on Thursday, lawmakers cleared the way to deliver on a pledge Macron made to young Africans during a speech in Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou in 2017. "This is a historic moment," said Culture Minister Catherine Pegard, praising France's decision to "turn a new page" in its history. Centrist senator Catherine Morin-Desailly, who has championed the bill, said it "opens a path where memory is no longer confiscated but shared, where the wounds of history become the foundations of a renewed dialogue between nations"."
"But France was hindered by legislation requiring every item in the national collection to be voted on individually. The new bill allows the government to return works of art without having to resort to passing piecemeal laws. It specifically targets assets acquired between 1815 and 1972. France has been flooded with restitution requests, including from Algeria, Mali and Benin, and once the legislation is enacted more demands are expected to arrive."
France’s parliament definitively adopted legislation to simplify the return of artworks looted during the colonial era to their countries of origin. The measure follows unanimous approval by both the lower and upper houses and fulfills a pledge made by President Emmanuel Macron in 2017 to young Africans in Ouagadougou. France holds tens of thousands of artworks and prized artefacts taken from its colonial empire. The law is intended to “turn a new page” by enabling restitution without requiring individual votes for every item. It targets assets acquired between 1815 and 1972, allowing the government to return works without piecemeal laws. Restitution requests from countries including Algeria, Mali, and Benin are expected to increase after enactment.
Read at The Local France
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