The legacy of 400 years of colonial history on France and Malta
Siġġu, the empty-chair sculpture by artist Austin Camilleri positioned in front of Queen Victoria’s statue in Valletta for the Malta Biennale, has stepped into Malta’s post-colonial debate, usually discussed from the single angle of the legacy of the British Empire over dominated Malta.
Being French-Maltese, I can observe how both French and Maltese societies are grappling with their respective post-colonial identities, either as a colonising or a colonised country.
It’s not only Malta that is questioning the legacy of being ruled by foreigners for 400 years, since a grand master of the Knights of St John, ironically French at the time, was given our island as their fief. France’s rule over foreign people and lands started around that same time. France’s multicultural identity is a direct result of its former imperial ambitions. And, today, France’s political debate reflects the challenges of integrating the colonial legacy into a modern society.
France: From colonial ambitions to a struggle with multiculturalism
France embarked on its colonial ventures in the 16th century, driven by the desire for economic expansion and the spread of Christianity. Over time, its empire grew to include vast territories in North and West Africa, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and the Americas. This expansive colonial project was not without its complexities and contradictions.
While France sought to export its culture, language and political ideals, it also engaged in exploitative economic practices, military conquests and the imposition of direct rule over diverse peoples and landscapes.
The impact of these colonial endeavours on France was multifaceted. Economically, the colonies served as markets for French goods and sources of raw materials, fuelling industrial growth and prosperity. Culturally, the encounter with a vast array of peoples and cultures influenced French artists, literature and thought, even as France sought to impose its own language and culture on its colonies.
Politically, the colonial project bolstered national prestige and power. But the loss of colonies, most notably Algeria, was a traumatic process that led to significant social and political upheaval. Yet, post-war France dramatically lacked workers during the period of reconstruction. As a result, the French government was eager to recruit immigrants coming from its former colonies, sowing the seeds of the multicultural and heterogenous French society of today.
The process of decolonisation and the integration of migrants from its former colonies have challenged France to reconcile its universalist ideals with the realities of a multicultural society, prompting ongoing debates about identity, memory and responsibility.