On October 4-5, 2024, France hosted the 19th Francophonie Summit, held between Paris and Villers-Cotterêts. The event brought together around fifty heads of state and government officials to discuss the numerous crises affecting French-speaking nations and strategies to address them. Yet, amidst these discussions, France chose to backtrack once again on its commitments to public development aid.
INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY IS THE VICTIM OF BUDGET CUTS
In February 2024, citing austerity measures, the French government slashed €800 million from its public development aid budget, a reduction of 13%. Civil society organizations reacted strongly, warning of the devastating impact on vulnerable populations and calling out the glaring disconnect between France’s rhetoric and its actions. This decision came just weeks before France hosted the Global Financial Pact Summit, an event ironically aimed at developing ambitious plans to combat climate change and significantly reduce poverty.
Read more: France cuts international aids by €800 million
Now, as President Emmanuel Macron emphasizes the importance of solidarity among French-speaking nations during the Francophonie Summit, the initial details of the 2025 draft budget reveal an additional €1.3 billion cut to public development aid. Together, these reductions amount to more than 30% of the budget for international solidarity, a stark move at a time when humanitarian crises are surging worldwide.
RISING HUMANITARIAN NEEDS ACROSS THE GLOBE
Armed conflicts, climate crises, and gender-based violence are just a few of the pressing challenges facing French-speaking nations. Words and declarations alone are insufficient responses. According to a report by Oxfam France, in 2022, one in six people in francophone countries* experienced chronic hunger, while one in three lacked safe and sufficient access to water. Between 2018 and 2023, an additional 32 million people across francophone nations fell into humanitarian emergencies requiring life-saving aid. In 2023, 70 million French-speaking people across the globe (equivalent to the population of France) needed humanitarian aid.
VIABLE SOLUTIONS DO EXIST!
Such significant budget cuts are primarily political choices, and certainly not the only options available to the government to save costs. For years, French organizations have advocated for better application of the financial transaction tax. By increasing its rate and eliminating certain exemptions, the state could generate an additional €3 billion annually. Similarly, revising the solidarity tax on airline tickets could yield billions more in revenue.
In a statement published in Jeune Afrique, the Coordination Sud collective urged the French government not to abandon international solidarity: “Instead of turning inward, France can reaffirm its commitment to supporting those affected by poverty and show itself as a nation that values cooperation among peoples, rather than one that tramples on the principles of solidarity and humanity.”
*Countries with French as one of their official languages (including Burkina Faso and Mali, which recently removed French from their official languages): 29 countries and 508 million French speakers in 2023.