Full Breakdown
France’s National Assembly Repeals the 1685 Code Noir
6/1/2026, 7:55:56 AM
The Historic Repeal
On 28 May 2026 the French National Assembly voted 254-0 to adopt a bill repealing the Code Noir, the 1685 royal decree that defined enslaved people as “movable property” and regulated slavery across France’s colonies. All 254 deputies present supported the measure; the bill now proceeds to the Senate for final approval.
Background of the Code Noir
King Louis XIV signed the Code Noir between 1685 and 1724. Its 60 articles classified enslaved persons as chattel (Article 44), prohibited ownership of personal items (Article 28), mandated Catholic baptism (Articles 2-3), expelled Jews (Article 1), and prescribed brutal punishments for escape, including branding, amputation and death (Articles 38, 33). Although slavery was abolished in 1848, the Code Noir was never formally abrogated, remaining a dormant text in the French legal code.
Key Legislators and Voices
- Max Mathiasin (Guadeloupe) – sponsor of the repeal, described the bill as “a powerful act of remembrance, justice and recognition.”
- Steevy Gustave (Martinique) – emotional speaker who emphasized that descendants are “human beings born free, then reduced to slavery.”
- Pierre-Yves Bocquet, deputy director of the Foundation for the Memory of Slavery – warned the repeal “will have no direct effect.”
- Marcellin Nadeau (Martinique) – left-wing MP insisting that “the essential question” is reparations.
- President Emmanuel Macron – supported the motion, calling the Code Noir’s lingering presence “a form of offense.”
Timeline of the Repeal Process
Data and Statistics
- France transported an estimated 1.4 million Africans, ranking third among European slave-trading nations.
- The Code Noir contained 60 articles; Article 44 defined enslaved people as “movable property.”
- The National Assembly vote was 254-0; 0 deputies opposed.
- France’s overseas departments—Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Réunion, and Mayotte—house roughly 1.9 million citizens, with unemployment roughly double the mainland rate and a majority of households in Mayotte below the national poverty line.
Why It Matters
The repeal removes a symbolic legal relic that contradicted France’s constitutional values of liberty, equality and fraternity. The bill also mandates a parliamentary report on the contemporary consequences of colonial law, and calls for integration of slavery history into school curricula, potentially reshaping public memory and policy.
Official Statements & Responses
President Macron said the Code Noir’s survival “has become a form of offense.” Mathiasin framed the repeal as a step toward “remembrance, justice and recognition.” Bocquet noted the action “will have no direct effect” on present inequalities. Nadeau argued that reparations “must not frighten the Republic.”
Criticism & Opposition
Lawmakers such as Emeline K/Bidi and critics in civil society argue that the repeal is purely symbolic and does not address systemic racism or the economic disparities in the overseas departments. The absence of reparations provisions has been highlighted as a major shortcoming.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
While most sources report a unanimous 254-0 vote, Reuters notes that some left-wing MPs, including Marcellin Nadeau, did not cast a vote, creating a minor discrepancy. The bill provides no concrete reparations plan, and the impact of the required parliamentary report remains uncertain.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The silence, even the indifference, that we have maintained for nearly two centuries towards this Code Noir is no longer an oversight. It has become a form of offence,” — Emmanuel Macron, President of France
- “We are not descendants of slaves, we are descendants of human beings born free, then reduced to the worst – reduced to slavery.” — Steevy Gustave, MP (Martinique)
- “This proposal does not claim to erase history, nor to single-handedly heal the wounds of history,” — Max Mathiasin, MP (Guadeloupe)
- “will have no direct effect.” — Pierre-Yves Bocquet, Deputy Director, Foundation for the Memory of Slavery
- “In my opinion, we must fight on the issue of reparations, which is the essential question,” — Marcellin Nadeau, MP (Martinique)
What’s Next
The Senate must debate the repeal and approve it for enactment. The government is required to submit a report on the legacy of colonial law, including recommendations for education and potential policy reforms. Parallel debates on reparations and systemic inequality are expected to continue in the French Parliament and public sphere.
