This Friday, October 4, Emmanuel Macron chairs the opening ceremony of the 19th Francophonie summit, at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts, in Picardy. After Yerevan then Djerba, the members of the International Organization of La Francophonie are meeting in France, where the headquarters of the OIF is located, for the first time in 33 years.
The essentials
►Dozens of heads of state and government are at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts this Friday, about 70 kilometers northeast of Paris. A city where King François I signed, in 1539, the ordinance imposing the use of French instead of Latin in all administrative and judicial acts of the Kingdom of France, and where Emmanuel Macron, native of the Picardy region, last year inaugurated the International city of the French language.
►This 19th summit of the International Organization of La Francophonie, an institution which brings together 88 member states and governments, is taking place this time against the backdrop of multiple global crises. The opportunity for the leaders present to discuss the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, but also the armed conflicts in Africa. A delegation from Lebanon, a member of the OIF, was to meet the organization’s executives. Many African leaders also made the trip.
►Spread over two days, first this Friday in Villers-Cotterêts, then the next day at the Grand Palais, in Paris, the meeting has the theme this year “ Create, innovate and undertake in French “. But the French president confirms, in a interview given to the regional presshis vision of the Francophonie as “ a mediation space “, ” dialogue to resolve political disputes as is the case between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda “. “ We will also try to move forward on this subject », he adds, while meetings were planned with his counterparts from the two countries.
To rereadFrance: opening of the 19th summit of La Francophonie in the presence of many African leaders
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1:55 p.m.: Kamel Madouri salutes the role his country plays at the OIF
The head of the Tunisian government pays tribute to France for organizing the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, before rejoicing at his country’s record at the head of the French-speaking world. “ We spared no effort, he said. I am also pleased that this summit is a continuation of that of Djerba. »
12:50 p.m.: End of the speech by the French head of state
President Macron ends his speech with these words: “ Long live the French language. » Tunisia takes over, through the voice of its Prime Minister.
12:45 p.m.: French, “ a language of resistance, of combat, sometimes of contraband »
Villers-Cotterêt will soon host an international French language college, reports the president. “ The teaching and translation of French are the vectors of our language. » And to underline “ hospitality » of the French language, and its ability to always be part of multilingualism, by linguistically importing elements from Arabic or even Mandarin. “ It is a language of resistance, of combat, sometimes of smuggling, always of invention and reinvention. » « A utopia, a current of air constantly in crossbreeding. »
12:40 p.m.: Mr. Macron recalls that French is a commercial language
French, the language of passage par excellence, “ allows you to undertake, trade », Continues Emmanuel Macron. Attractiveness, entrepreneur, are French words, despite everything our English-speaking friends think, underlines Mr. Macron, in reference to erroneous comments made by Donald Trump a few years ago. Innovation, inventions are also French words, he emphasizes.
12:35 p.m.: President Macron shares his vision of the Francophonie
“ This Francophonie which unites us was thought and desired by others than France itself », and first of writers, recalls Emmanuel Macron, until the institutionalization of 1970 in Niamey. “ Our language is a space that is constructed », continues the head of state, “ to be informed, to understand the world “. “ Our language is also a space to create. »
12:30 p.m.: President Emmanuel Macron speaks
The President of the Republic is pleased that the castle of Vilers-Cotterêts is now “ a living place, not simply a museum, but a city, a place of welcome, research and exploration “.
12:00 p.m.: The participants have all arrived in Villers-Cotterêts
All the leaders participating in the 19th Francophonie summit are now gathered inside the Château de Villers-Cotterêts around President Macron and the Secretary General of the OIF, Louise Mushikiwabo. The opening ceremony is scheduled to start around 12:30 UT. In addition to Mr. Macron and Ms. Mushikiwabo, the person representing Tunisia, host country of the organization’s previous summit, must also speak.
Before the opening ceremony
Thursday, on the eve of the event, the Head of State also received, at the Élysée, the Chadian Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, and both agreed to “ strengthen cooperation » bilateral in « the economic, military and cultural fields “. Mr. Macron reaffirmed the “ availability of France to support Chad in the implementation of its economic and social development priorities “, recalling ” the importance for France of the privileged partnership it maintains with Chad “.
The President of the Republic also received Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian, reaffirming in particular France’s determination to support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of this country, as well as its attachment to the ongoing discussions with Azerbaijan. Emmanuel Macron also saw Salomé Zourabichvili, his counterpart from Georgia, welcoming his country’s access to the status of candidate for entry into the European Union, but regretting the recent adoption of laws which caused Tbilisi to deviate, considers he, of his trajectory.
Finally, note that the French number one, still on Thursday, also spoke with the King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihamoni, also thanking him for his coming on the occasion of this summit, and being enthusiastic about the candidacy of his country in the organization of the next OIF summit, in 2026. An approach which contributes, believes Mr. Macron, to the French-speaking dynamic in the Indo-Pacific.
The secretary general of the OIF, Louise Mushikiwabo, spoke in the columns of Agence France-Presse shortly before the summit. “ I would like them to come back “, she confided in particular, regarding the three Sahel countries currently suspended from the organization, namely Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. “ La Francophonie was born in Niger. Our political constitution is called the Bamako Declaration, in Mali », recalls the former Rwandan minister.
It makes me uncomfortable not to have these countries with us (…) But there must be will on the other side. We cannot work with a partner who is not ready to work with us.
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If these three countries maintain particularly complicated relations since they experienced coups d’état, and were not invited to this meeting, Guinea, where the military has been in power for three years, has for its share since its suspension was lifted at the end of September. “ Does this mean that Guinea meets all the conditions, ticks all the boxes on issues of democracy, rights and freedoms? Absolutely not. But Guinea has made progress, considers Ms. Mushikiwabo. With his return, we have more interactions, more levers. Excluding states is not a solution. »
Created to promote cultural cooperation, the mission of the International Organization of La Francophonie is not currently limited to the promotion of French, the fifth most spoken language in the world. She also promotes “ peace, democracy and human rights ”, and aims to “ support education ”, or even “ develop economic cooperation “. The OIF gradually became a “ block », explains its manager, who still has influence “ modest » but growing, according to her.
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The organization is not always spared from criticism. And neither does France behind it. Faced with needs “ which are exploding in French-speaking countries, France shines through its promises, much less through its actions. It only provided 1.7% of the humanitarian funding that French-speaking countries needed to respond to their crisis. “, denounces this Friday the NGO Oxfamwho accuses Paris of hypocrisy.
On Thursday, several French deputies spoke in favor of an evolution of the International Organization of La Francophonie in the years to come. An ambition which nevertheless comes up against a tight budget, 67 million euros in total. “ We remain a modest organization », confirms Louise Mushikiwabo. An institution which cannot, she adds, “ solving the world’s complicated crises “. “ It is not the Francophonie which will resolve the question of Lebanon. » But the OIF, concludes its general secretary, “ can get things done “.
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