'Total morons': Here's why France's Macron lashed out at Haitians, and what he forgot

French President Emmanuel Macron referred to Haiti's transitional council as "total morons" for dismissing Prime Minister Garry Conille after just five months in office. He can be seen making the statement in a video shot at the G20 summit in Brazil this week.

Macron's comments have been shared widely on social media.

Macron described the council's decision as "terrible," blaming Haitian leaders for the country's instability.

"They're total morons," said Macron referring to the transitional body, adding, "they never should have dismissed him."

In recent months, the Caribbean country has seen a surge in violence with gangs now controlling 80 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

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He went on to accuse Haitians of "letting drug trafficking take over."

While he blames innocent civilians, Macron appears to be conveniently forgetting that France is the reason Haiti has experienced decades of political instability in the first place.

France's exploitation of post-colonial Haiti

Haiti became the first independent Black republic in 1804, following a successful slave revolt against France. However, freedom came at an immense cost. In 1825, France forced Haiti to pay reparations to its former colonisers in exchange for diplomatic recognition.

This "ransom" plunged Haiti into decades of economic hardship. According to a 2020 New York Times report, Haitians paid about $560 million in today's dollars.

The economic damage, however, extends far beyond the initial sum. If the wealth extracted from Haiti had remained within the country and been allowed to grow at a natural pace, financial experts estimate the loss over two centuries to be between $21 billion and $115 billion.

Macron's taunts Haitians, but stays quiet on French responsibility

The entire world knows what the outcome of that massive debt that filled France's coffers was. Haiti was set on a path of systemic poverty, undermining its ability to develop on par with neighbouring nations.

Earlier this year, a coalition of civil society organisations called on France to repay billions in reparations, demanding that the funds be directed toward rebuilding Haiti's infrastructure and supporting public services.

Although former French President François Hollande pledged to address France's "moral debt" to Haiti, tangible reparations have yet to materialise. President Macron, in contrast, has largely avoided the subject.

What he has done, though, is oversimplifying the crisis and blaming the victims. His comments point to a deeply flawed understanding, or perhaps deliberate ignorance, of the systemic forces that have shaped Haiti's challenges.

His remarks do appear to come from a place of a highground that his country's colonial past ill-affords.

France owes Haiti more than just rhetoric—it owes a tangible commitment to righting historical wrongs.

With inputs from agencies