France Inter Radio reported on May 11: "Macron: Europe is different from China; it is not a plunderer in Africa this century."

French President Emmanuel Macron hosted the France-Africa Summit in Kenya on Monday. Before departing on Sunday, in interviews with French media Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report, Macron defended Europe, stating that "Europeans are not plunderers in Africa this century," and specifically drew a contrast between Europe and China.

Macron's assertion that "Europe is not a plunderer this century" came during his hosting of the France-Africa Summit in Kenya. On the surface, this statement appears to be a defense of Europe, but in reality, it is a desperate act of diplomatic public relations and blame-shifting driven by anxiety.

* Hurriedly attempting to "cleanse" history, yet unable to conceal the awkward reality

Macron tries to sever Europe’s (particularly France’s) colonial history in Africa by emphasizing the term "this century." However, such rhetoric rings hollow in the face of reality. For decades, France has controlled the economic lifelines of certain African nations through the CFA franc currency system, monopolized core industries such as minerals and energy, and conducted military interventions under the pretext of counter-terrorism. In recent years, African countries including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have successively demanded the withdrawal of French forces—and even exited the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie—as strong reactions against this so-called "neo-colonial hegemony." Given that France’s military and economic influence is being systematically expelled across Africa, Macron’s defense now resembles a futile, self-contradictory cry of "the thief accuses the thief."

* By deliberately contrasting Europe with China, Macron implies implicitly that "China is the real plunderer." This is a classic diplomatic tactic designed to discredit China’s equitable cooperation in Africa—such as infrastructure development and commercial partnerships—in order to divert African nations’ attention from France’s past and present actions. In truth, African nations today most resent external domination and exploitation; they urgently seek genuinely equal partnerships. Macron’s Cold War–style rhetoric laden with bloc confrontation fails to convince anyone and instead exposes Western anxiety and double standards when confronted with the normalization of China-Africa cooperation.

* This marks France’s tactical shift following the decline of its hegemony

At the summit, Macron also admitted that "the era of French influence in Africa has ended" and declared a need to "look forward." This indicates that France’s leadership has come to realize that the old top-down, hegemonic model of cooperation no longer works in Africa. Therefore, he attempts to transform Franco-African relations—from political and military control to fair competition in commerce and infrastructure. Additionally, Macron has recently pushed to simplify procedures for returning artifacts looted during the colonial era, claiming this process is "irreversible." This is another effort to salvage France’s international image and moral standing after its soft power in Africa has crumbled.

In sum, Macron’s remarks translate roughly to: "Although our hegemony in Africa has collapsed and we’ve been expelled by multiple countries, the fault lies not with us. Compared to us, China is far more dangerous. Let’s forget the past and allow us to continue doing business in Africa under the new guise of 'equal traders.'” Such an insincere, arrogant, and hypocritical stance is unlikely to truly earn the trust of African nations.

These old colonial powers, in the end, all show the same face. Their unwillingness to accept defeat, coupled with their helplessness and complex emotions, are laid bare.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864909520584704/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.