French President Emmanuel Macron has announced he intends to set up a joint Franco-Haitian commission to examine France’s history with its former colony and its impact on the country’s development since its independence – notably the demand that Haiti pay France reparations to compensate slave-owners for their losses, in return for recognition.

“This decision placed a price on the freedom of a young nation, which was confronted with the unjust force of history from the moment it was founded,” said Macron, in a statement released on Thursday.

“Today, on this bicentenary, we must… look history in the face. Haiti was born of a revolution… which boldly affirmed the universal principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Haiti’s struggle, in harmony with the ideals of the French Revolution, should have offered France and Haiti the opportunity to forge a common path,” he continued.

“Recognising the truth of history means refusing to forget and erase. For France, it also means assuming its share of the truth in the painful construction of memory for Haiti, which began in 1825.”

Macron announced that the Franco-Haitian commission will propose recommendations to both governments “so that they can learn from them and build a more peaceful future,” although the timeline and goals remain unclear.

Two hundred years ago, on 17 April 1825, France officially recognised Haiti’s independence. It should have been a moment of pride for the world’s first country born from a successful slave revolt. Instead, it marked the beginning of a punishing financial and political ordeal.

In return for recognition, France demanded 150 million francs in gold. The money was to compensate former slaveowners for their losses. French warships waited off the coast and King Charles X made it clear: if Haiti refused, there would be war.

The country that had fought off slavery was made to pay its former oppressors for the privilege of being free.

“The paradox is that the victors ended up paying a ransom to the defeated, because Haitians had defeated the French army in 1803 to proclaim their independence. It was an unjust payment. The real victims were the enslaved people,” said Jean-Marie Théodat, a Haitian geographer and lecturer at the Sorbonne.

The first instalment alone – 30 million francs – was six times greater than Haiti’s entire national budget. To meet the demand, Haiti borrowed heavily from French banks. Interest and commissions mounted for more than a century. Payments continued until the 1950s.

In a 2022 investigation, The New York Times calculated that Haiti’s repayments amounted to the modern equivalent of $560 million. The wider cost to Haiti’s development has been estimated to be at least $21 billion.

“There were elements of state modernisation, such as schools or hospitals, which unfortunately could not flourish because of this structural lack of resources,” said Théodat.

Some economists argue that without this early setback, Haiti’s economy today might look more like that of the Dominican Republic. Instead, it remains the poorest country in the Americas. Today, the country is in crisis, with armed gangs controlling 85 percent of the capital and public services failing.

In France, two separate resolutions concerning Haiti have been submitted to the National Assembly.

One, brought forward by the left-wing party France Unbowed (LFI), calls for a new phase of cooperation between the countries and a formal recognition of their shared past.

“When you look at what the French governments and regimes did to Haiti, and what little money has been invested, it’s not enough,” said Gabrielle Cathala, an LFI MP.

Her resolution also calls on the French government to recognise the crimes against humanity committed in Haiti, and to strengthen cooperation, especially around security.

A second proposal, supported by Communist and overseas MPs, goes further, demanding reparations and a full refund of the original debt.

“As we say in Creole, forgiveness doesn’t heal the wounds. Symbols are necessary, but we also need concrete action to help the Haitian people escape this serious situation,” said Martinique MP Marcellin Nadeau.

In January, former Haitian president Leslie Voltaire said he had raised the issue of restitution during a meeting with Macron – a term which did not appear in the statement released by the Elysée Palace on Thursday.

In recent days, French scholars and commentators have renewed calls for reparations. Théodat said the issue is closely followed by descendants of enslaved people around the world, explaining that: “Haiti is a symbol."

Since the early 2000s, similar demands for justice have been raised in other former French colonies, including Martinique, French Guiana and Réunion.