Uneasiness in the historical community

"More than two months after the controversy broke out over the 'positive' effects of colonisation, and the official discomfort over the bicentennary of Austerlitz, about twenty of the most prominent French historians have decided to break their silence," writes Jacques de Saint-Victor, referring to a petition entitled, 'Freedom for history!'. "This stance-taking attests to the deep sense of unease that has been incubating in the historical community for several years now. Driven by the best intentions in the world, the French lawmaker has in effect acquired a taste for legislating in the historical domain." In the journalist's view, "memory is becoming increasingly something that involves setting forth demands, lodging legal complaints. Indeed, something full of hatred. Nothing is more unhealthy than this, for if no one is responsible for his ancestors, they are, on the other hand, accountable for the degree of hatred that they pass down to future generations."

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