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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
World
Jessica Phelan with RFI

Remorse for slavery grows in Europe, but reparations are slow to follow

European Union Slavery Europe WillemAlexander Netherlands France King Charles III Shirley Amsterdam The Netherlands
Foot restraints used to chain enslaved people on display as part of a major exhibition on Dutch slavery at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 12 May 2021. © Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP

In the same week that the Dutch king apologised for the Netherlands' part in the slave trade, France's top appeals court dismissed a claim for compensation by the descendants of people enslaved under the French empire. As the latest developments illustrate, a new willingness in Europe to admit the crimes of slavery hasn't translated into reparations.

When King Willem-Alexander gave a personal apology for slavery last Saturday, at an event commemorating the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Dutch colonies, it was hailed as historic.

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