The Elysee Palace said French President Emmanuel Macron had decided to introduce a new procedure that would speed up the declassification process for defense documents until 1970.
The Elysee said Macron was “determined to promote respect for historical truth.” The new rule comes in from March 11th.
“This decision will significantly shorten the waiting times for the declassification procedure, including [for] documents related to the Algerian war, ”reads the statement from Elysee.
France under Macron tried to reckon with its past. The president called colonialism earlier in a speech to the Ivory Coast a ‘serious mistake and a mistake of the republic’.
In July, the country returned the skulls of 24 Algerian resistance fighters who died while opposed to the French occupation in the 19th century.
The debate over the issue in France has recently resurfaced following a report by historian Benjamin Stora on behalf of the government on the “reconciliation of memories” between the two countries.
The statement added: “It is the wish of the President that these initiatives enable our country to take a clear look at the injuries of the past, bring about a reconciliation of long-term memories and of the young people of France and Algeria. with a view to education and the transmission of memories. ‘