The French double standard: between championing national sovereignty in New Caledonia and denying Algeria the right to uphold its own in the Boualem Sansal case
The recent controversy surrounding the statements of Abbas Abbasov, Executive Director of the Baku Initiative Group, during the International Decolonization Front Congress in Nouméa, New Caledonia-Kanaky, has once again exposed a recurring paradox in French diplomacy. While France reacts decisively when its own sovereign interests are at stake, it adopts a contrasting stance when criticizing similar actions by other states, as seen in the case of Algerian writer Boualem Sansal. This double standard, which raises questions about consistency and principle, deserves closer scrutiny. An Unyielding Attachment to National Sovereignty At the Nouméa Congress, Abbasov expressed support for the Kanak people's right to self-determination—a claim rooted in international law, which upholds the right of peoples to determine their political status. Yet, for France, this was seen as a direct challenge to its territorial integrity. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot promptly condemned Abbasov...