Production and Politics of the National Narrative in France

Abstract

This chapter considers the national narratives in France since the end of the twentieth century. The nation’s historical narrative experienced a turning point in the 1990s. The State’s recognition of the crimes committed by France against Jews during the Second World War and the reparation policies put in place (including laws, commemorations, compensation, and memorialisation) marked a break with a traditional national narrative that paid tribute to the nation’s heroes defined as those who fought to ensure its perpetuation or role in universal history. The criminalisation of the past continues with the recognition of other victims, this time linked to France’s colonial past (the Algerian War, the slave trade, and slavery). This policy of recognition and reparation for victims led to a reaction at the end of the 2000s and in the 2010s that originated from political actors but also from journalists and essayists. Denouncing a discourse of repentance and communitarianism that threatens national identity, these actors reject any criminalisation of the past by considering history as a source of national pride. The history of the French nation is presented by its origins, its great men, with particular attention paid to the monarchical period.