France’s parliament on Thursday, May 8th definitively adopted legislation to simplify the return of artworks looted during the colonial era to their countries of origin.
France still holds tens of thousands of artefacts taken during periods of French colonial rule. Lawmakers in both chambers approved the bill, delivering on a pledge Macron made in 2017 during a speech in Ouagadougou, where he promised to facilitate the return of African cultural heritage.
“This is a historic moment,” Culture Minister Catherine Pégard said, praising the decision to “turn a new page” in France’s history. Senator Catherine Morin-Desailly, a key supporter of the legislation, 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.
Previously, French law required each item in the national collection to be approved individually for return, slowing restitution efforts. The new legislation removes this barrier, allowing the government to return objects without passing separate laws for each case. It applies to artefacts acquired between 1815 and 1972.
France has received numerous restitution requests from countries including Algeria, Benin, and Mali, more are expected once the law takes effect. In recent years, France has already taken steps toward restitution, including the 2025 return of a “talking drum” to Ivory Coast.
