• The Summit marks a significant shift, prioritising a multipolar approach over traditional bilateralism, with Germany and India attending.
• Emmanuel Macron has acknowledged France’s economic gaps in Africa, as evidenced by the exit of banks, and called for reinvestment by entrepreneurs.
• This new doctrine, focused on SMEs and equal partnerships, must now prove its credibility in the face of challenges such as visas and mobility.

The Africa-France summit scheduled for May 2026 in Nairobi is being presented by Paris as the start of a new era, marking a profound break with post-colonial reflexes. Announced by President Emmanuel Macron during his address to the diplomatic corps last January, this event is designed to serve as a laboratory for pragmatic, multipolar economic diplomacy. For the first time, France is no longer positioning itself as the continent's exclusive interlocutor, but is instead inviting global partners such as India and Germany to build reinforced coalitions. This change in method highlights a desire to adapt to a competitive world in which French influence now depends on its ability to unite partners rather than on historical ties alone.

This meeting comes in the wake of a remarkably candid admission of failure regarding the French economic presence. The Head of State openly recognised that, despite a complete overhaul of diplomatic discourse, France missed the African economic turn. The massive withdrawal of central banking and financial groups over the last fifteen years—often driven by European regulations deemed paralysing—has left the field open to new international players. To remedy this decline, the French strategy is shifting away from seeking "economic rent" and prioritising entrepreneurs, SMEs, and startups capable of integrating into local economic fabrics with agility.

The challenge in Nairobi will be to transform these rhetorical ambitions into concrete realities. While the discourse promotes a partnership "on equal footing," several grey areas remain, particularly regarding the crucial issue of mobility for African entrepreneurs and access to European markets. The summit must demonstrate that this new doctrine is not merely a tool for projecting French power in a multipolar order, but a framework for mutually beneficial cooperation. The success of this pivot will depend on Paris's ability to meet the sovereignty expectations of African partners while mobilising new financial levers.

Idriss Linge