On the (im)possibility of state apologies for the colonial past in French and German memory politics

State apologies and the related expression of emotions, such as guilt and repentance, are seen as an essential part of dealing with atrocious pasts. Against this view, the article analyzes from a postcolonial perspective the impact of emotions in the negotiation of state apologies in postcolonial memory politics. In a transnational comparative discourse analysis, I examine the conditions of the (im)possibility under which state apologies are discussed in public and media debates in 2021, focusing on the Algerian War of Independence (1954–1962) in France and the OvaHerero and Nama Genocide (1904–1908) in Germany. In France, public opinion rejects apologies as an act of “repentance.” In Germany, the planned apology becomes impossible because the government equals the “historical and moral responsibility” with development cooperation. Through a transnational comparison that analyzes the structuring effects of emotional discourses in memory politics, the article shows that dealing with the colonial past primarily follows the interests of the European nation-states, thus leaving the postcolonial power imbalances intact.