"Paris's foreign policy is collapsing like a house of cards" Expert insights

Recently, the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) held a press conference in Baku, where they presented new evidence of France's brutal colonial policies. The "Report on Human Rights Violations in France's Overseas Territories," prepared by BIG, highlights widespread abuses of human rights.

France's oppressive practices have long extended beyond New Caledonia—where the most severe repression under Macron's regime has been documented—to other French colonies. This situation starkly illustrates the deepening crisis in French imperial politics, as the nation steadily loses its influence on the global stage. The latest surprise for Paris came from Europe itself, as the Corsican parliament called on the UN to include the island in the list of territories that need to be separated from France and decolonized.

What lies ahead for Macron's France? To explore this question, a correspondent from Caliber.Az sought insights from foreign political analysts.

According to Dr. Rudolf Valeev, a legal scholar at the University of Vienna, the once-prestigious status of French foreign policy, which served as a model for study in many universities around the world, now resembles that of a fighter jet caught in a deadly spin.

“France is crashing down from the pedestal that figures like De Gaulle, Mitterrand, Chirac, and other French foreign policy elites once placed it on. Each of them inherited the management of territories that were, and in some cases still are, under France's influence. Paris continues to control the financial systems of most of its former colonies, effectively placing their economies under the oversight of the metropolis. For many years, these politicians skillfully maintained the advantageous perks of colonial legacy, diplomatically supporting Paris's influence in these nations. The key word here is ‘diplomatically.’ While there were certainly excesses, attempts to sustain influence never reached the absurdity we see under Macron. It can be said that in recent years, Macron has systematically squandered the political legacy of his predecessors. The results of this approach are evident—countries’ fierce attempts to break free from Paris's influence are unprecedented in French politics and serve as a shameful barometer of Macron's fundamentally misanthropic political strategy.

It can now be confidently stated that Paris's foreign policy is collapsing like a house of cards—Macron's political arrogance is leading France to the gallows. However, the impending collapse threatens not only politics but also the economy. Here lies perhaps Macron's most significant failure: in 2018, former French President Jacques Chirac remarked that the French must recognize that a substantial portion of funds in French banks comes from the exploitation of former colonies on the African continent.

The reality is clear: in the near future, many of France's former colonies will begin to reassess their financial relationships with Paris, demanding full independence. If this happens, Paris risks facing complete bankruptcy," emphasized Valeev.

Russian political analyst Renat Savin believes that Macron's clumsy policies are having a negative impact on European and EU politics as a whole.

“We are witnessing a complete degradation of the idea of European integration as a development model—its ineffectiveness has been confirmed not only by the COVID-19 pandemic but especially by the military actions in Ukraine. Macron's barbaric treatment of France's overseas territories, along with his disregard for the values and traditions of African peoples, exemplifies the crisis in European politics, proving that Europe is failing in its role as a global leader. The work of the Baku Initiative Group, in this context, can serve as an important lesson for European politicians on how not to interact with partner countries and those under the metropolitan’s influence. The effects of a condescending and uncompromising central policy, which fails to recognize the obvious needs of the indigenous populations in the provinces, can be profoundly damaging.

There are also significant issues within France: the touted French tolerance has turned into one of the ugliest social phenomena in Europe. It is evident that the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) is justifiably fighting for the rights and freedoms of French colonies, drawing closer to the historical moment when France will cease to be an empire that destroys the lives of people,” Savin concluded.