France’s influence fades in Maghreb
At a time when FrenchAlgerian relations were supposed to be on the mend, Algeria’s Central Bank last month issued new banknotes that bore, for the first time, inscriptions in English, alongside Arabic. Politicians in Paris were not amused. They saw it as another sign that Algeria was drifting away from France’s zone of influence. Algeria had already announced in June the introduction of
English courses in primary schools. “French is a spoil of war. But English is the international language,” said President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Even Morocco, whose 2019 educational reform consolidated the place of French in the country’s education, decided in the summer to increase the number of English language teachers. Science classes will be taught in English at primary and middle schools. English proficiency will be required of university graduates. Despite France’s misgivings, the demand for English language skills in the Maghreb is real. The globalized market dictates an English language proficiency that is still lacking.
The drive to upgrade English language skills is driven not by a desire to settle scores but by a quest somewhat reminiscent of the early independence leaders’ view of French as a tool for modernization. Maghrebi officials are only going with the flow. Younger generations have acquired English on their own, from the internet and online entertainment platforms.
The summit of French-speaking countries, held in Djerba, Tunisia, in November, ended up admitting that the French language is not faring well. This was in contrast to reassuring narratives previously put out by the International
Organization for the Francophonie. President Emanuel Macron said the French language, despite being spoken by 321 million people, is losing ground in North Africa. “Let’s be honest,” he said, “French is less spoken in the Maghreb today than it used to be 20 or 30 years ago.”
Seeking to preempt blame at home, Macron pleaded for “a reconquest” by France of its lost linguistic influence. His nostalgic overtones betrayed a desire to compete with French far-right narratives. The call to reclaim the past is at odds with today’s complex realities, marked by the diversified economic, political and military ties of the Maghreb to the rest of the world.
Furthermore, the French cannot object to the Maghrebis using English as the international language of choice when they are doing the same. As it sets its eyes on sub-Saharan Africa and what it sees as the French language’s promising future there, France is likely to discover that, on both sides of the Sahara, it has to reckon with changing realities.
While it was busy pursuing ill-fated military campaigns,
France was losing its market share to Chinese, Indian, Turkish and European competition.
At the same time, internetconnected younger generations in the continent clamored for a new vision of the world. The battle for the hearts and minds of Maghrebis and Africans might prove more complicated than Macron has so far seemed to think.