French lawmakers voted on Thursday to formally repeal slavery-era laws that defined the legal status of enslaved people as “chattel” and justified abuse and corporal punishment, Reuters reports.
The move, largely symbolic, comes amid debates in France about reparations for slavery and the persistence of racism and inequalities linked to colonialism in French society.
If also passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Emmanuel Macron, the bill would also require the government to submit a report to parliament on the consequences of colonial law and the lasting effects of slavery on French overseas territories, the legacy of slavery on racism and discrimination in French society and how the history of slavery is taught in schools.
The laws are known as the “Code noir” in France
The legislation to be repealed, known in French as the “Code noir”, refers to royal edicts promulgated between 1685 and 1724. The first were promulgated by Louis XIV, considered one of the most important kings in French history. Although slavery was abolished by France in 1848, the “Code noir” was never officially repealed.
“This proposal does not pretend to erase history, nor to heal the wounds of the past by itself,” said Max Mathiasin, an MP from the French island of Guadeloupe.
“It aims to take a new step, to represent a powerful gesture of commemoration, justice and recognition, by officially repealing the 'Code noir' and all texts derived from it,” he added.
The 254 parliamentarians present voted unanimously in favor of the proposal, which still needs to be debated by the upper chamber of the parliament.
Some MPs also demand reparations for the descendants of slaves
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for the initiative this month, saying the old legislation should not have survived to this day.
Macron also brought up the topic of reparations for slavery, but without making concrete proposals.
Some MPs argued that the “Code noir” repeal bill should have included demands for compensation, but Mathiasin said he did not want to “complicate” the proposal by introducing them.
“In my opinion, we have to continue the fight on reparations, which is the essential issue,” said Marcellin Nadeau, a deputy from the French island of Martinique, who did not participate in the vote.
France was a major player in the slave trade
France was the third most important European player in the transatlantic slave trade, after England and Portugal. According to the Memorial for the Abolition of Slavery at the Nantes Museum, France initiated 13% of the trading expeditions carried out between the 16th and 19th centuries in this trade.
Calls for reparations – from official apologies to financial compensation – have gained momentum internationally, although opponents argue that present-day states and institutions should not be held responsible for historical crimes.
In March, France abstained at the United Nations from voting on a resolution initiated by African states that declared slavery “the worst crime against humanity” and called for reparations.
