French Development Agency Faces Criticism Over Foreign Aid Allocations

Sarah Knafo accuses the agency of misusing taxpayer funds, while officials defend its role in global development and environmental initiatives.

Eurodeputy Sarah Knafo has criticized the Agence française de développement (AFD) for allocating funds to projects in countries like China, Albania, and Gaza, calling them wasteful and disconnected from French taxpayers' interests.
Knafo highlighted specific projects, such as €40 million annually for ecological restoration in China's Pingnan district and €51 million for promoting gender equality in Albania, as examples of perceived misuse of funds.
The AFD responded by emphasizing that 85% of its activities are loans, not grants, and that it generates significant returns, including €3 billion in economic benefits and 40,000 jobs in France annually.
French officials, including the Minister of the Francophonie, defended the AFD's work, describing it as essential for international stability and aligned with France's commitments to global climate and development goals.
The debate has sparked broader discussions about the role and priorities of France's foreign aid policies, with Knafo calling for a reevaluation of spending and the AFD stressing its contributions to both global and domestic interests.