By Anonymous

Discussions took place between the French President, Mr Emmanuel Macron, on official visit to Mauritius from 20 to 21 November 2025, and the Mauritian Prime Minister, Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam. Some thoughts follow regarding the meaning and outcomes of the visit.

Symbolic
Both sides’ rhetoric has labelled the visit ‘historic’. Indeed, no UK Prime Minister or US President has ever visited Mauritius. The UK has sent us Royalty several times, but no Prime Minister. Some prominent African Heads of state have graced us with official visits, including President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal in 2002, ‘Comrade’ Mugabe in 1990, and Nelson Mandela in 1998. Thabo Mbeki was chief guest for our 2008 Independence and National Day celebrations. Malagasy President Rajaonarimampianina was chief guest for National Celebrations in 2016. Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Narendra Modi, and several Presidents of India have come on official visit. The only French president to have come on official visit was François Mitterand in 1990, and he came again in 1993 when Mauritius hosted the Francophonie Summit.
So, President Macron’s visit is meaningful, specially as he started his Africa tour with the 2-day visit in Mauritius.
Concretely, there are different ways of interpreting the outcomes.

Strategic
Macron has re-emphasised France’s strategic interest in the Indian Ocean. A new French embassy inaugurated, when the Americans are building theirs, when the UK comes out as merely toeing the US line as regards the Chagos. The fact that Tromelin (the subject of competing territorial claims by Mauritius and France) was discussed at the level of the two Heads points to (at least theoretically) an approach by France that is slightly more respectful and direct than the British way has been as regards the Chagos. Discussions touched on the possibility of joint management of Tromelin.

The French President has also clearly highlighted France’s more far-reaching strategic interests, that include not only the Indian Ocean but, linked to it, prospects in the Indo-Pacific as well. Macron pointed out that France does not seek to ‘dominer’ but to ‘cooperer’ with states in the Indian Ocean, but as one Mauritian weekend newspaper put it: ‘le président Emmanuel Macron a livré un discours qui inscrit clairement la France comme puissance de l’océan Indien’. (President Macron delivered a speech that clearly presented France as an Indian Ocean Power). This is re-echoed by several French media outlets, that point out that France sees Mauritius as being ‘at the heart of a strategic zone, extending from the Mozambique Canal to the maritime routes of the Indo-Pacific’, covering world trade, energy supply routes, fishing and big power rivalries. So, while France’s well-rehearsed discourse is strategic, that of Mauritius remains cautiously ‘developmental’ whereas we could be more self-confident in airing aspirations to play a more assertive role regionally.

The Prime Minister highlighted positively the role France was playing in supporting the efficacy of both the Indian Ocean Commission and the Indian Ocean Rim Association, both of which have long had their respective Secratariat established in Mauritius. In another era, Mauritius voiced its concern that France would be weighing heavily on Indian Ocean affairs, while not being an Indian Ocean state, but acting as a colonial power, through its French overseas Départements of Reunion and of Mayotte. This change arises from significant shifts in our position, no doubt guided by the profound ideological transformations that have taken place in the last 35 years or so. It should however be possible for Mauritius to capitalise more and enhance its role in the activation of the opportunities these organisations offer, as mediator, facilitator and as a driver, as partner.

But President Macron went further, saying that the position of France and that of Mauritius ‘clearly converged’ on regional issues, notably regarding the situation in Madagascar. This seems to undermine our freedom to articulate an autonomously developed approach, and importantly to communicate that stance domestically and internationally. All the more so that our Prime Minister also expressed unreserved agreement with France’s efforts at the level of the EU, the AU, SADC regarding the situation in Madagascar. No mention was made, at least in the press conference that I viewed, to any step or stand we have taken on any of these fora since the upheaval in Madagascar started.

When directly addressing the Foreign Press attending the press conference, the Prime Minister’s remarks focused mainly on domestic affairs and did not iterate a wider Mauritian vision for the region, though the Prime Minister re-emphasised ‘principles of democracy, stability and human progress’.

Image management
President Macron also used the meeting with the press to clarify the French position re the recent upheavals in Madagascar. France has come out poorly in the wake of the successive coups in French-speaking countries of the continent in recent years, and we have given Macron an opportunity to regain some goodwill for his country, perhaps, through his expressing the desire of helping Madagascar build stability, democracy and a viable future for its youth.
One newspaper concluded: ‘Une visite pensée aussi pour l’image de la France’(A visit also designed to improve France’s image) though it also afforded prestige to Mauritius to discuss and sign these agreements, a small insular state on an equal footing with a former colonial power.

Economic
At least the objects of financial support seem well targeted, supporting energy supply and much needed water infrastructure renewal. Access to water remains a source of inequality in Mauritius with several poorer localities still inadequately connected to regular water supply. It is also heartening that the water infrastructure plans make specific mention of Rodrigues.

Unsurprisingly, several of the concrete measures proposed as regards food security consolidate the private sector in Mauritius, including the flour producing sector with guarantees on French wheat supply to Moulins de la Concorde, a major flour-producing entity in Mauritius. It’s not clear how a renewed agreement between French Cristal Union and the Mauritius Sugar Syndicate falls under ‘food security’ enhancement for us.
But our Prime Minister re-emphasised ‘the important role of the private sector’, which points to policy continuity as regards the relationship between Government and the private sector in driving economic development for Mauritius since the early days after independence.

Balancing
One clear benefit of the visit is that the cherished ‘balance’ that Mauritius has tried to maintain over decades in its relations with its many ‘friends’, that seemed to have been somewhat jeopardised by an assertive India in recent years, seems to be more clearly on the cards. This should be reassuring to the population at large here.

Cultural ties
The French President’s delegation included three persons of Mauritian origin:
Prisca Thevenot, a young centrist politician,
Vikash Dhorasoo, former international footballer, now a left-leaning activist,
Samuel Kistohurry, a reputed sportsman and role-model.
Three young people who have successfully crossed barriers and frontiers.

To conclude, all in all, the presidential visit will have brought us some dividends.