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Six months after the Head of State’s visit to the archipelago, nearly 35,000 documents relating to nuclear tests conducted by France in the Pacific between 1966 and 1996 have been declassified. The archives concerning the tests carried out from 1960 in Algeria remain inaccessible.
A policy of small steps. On subjects as sensitive as the French nuclear tests in French Polynesia, which caused environmental and health problems for the local populations, Emmanuel Macron advances with caution. During a trip there in July 2021, the Head of State recognized a “debt” with regard to the archipelago, because of the 193 nuclear tests carried out between 1966 and 1996. “I assume and I want the truth and transparency with you”, he had declared in front of an audience of Polynesian representatives, promising in passing the opening of archives.
Six months after his visit, things are moving forward. Nearly 35,000 documents will be declassified, the Ministry of the Armed Forces announced on Friday. These archives were analyzed by a commission set up in early October by the Minister Delegate for Memory and Veterans Affairs, Geneviève Darrieussecq. Its purpose was to examine the documents relating to the nuclear tests likely to be communicated. Those containing information “proliferating” – which could help in the production of a nuclear weapon – have been ruled out. Geneva…