Francophonie: Four candidates face the Grand Oral in Paris for the OIF top post

Paris – 30.06.2026: In a publicly scheduled hearing on Tuesday, four candidates for the office of Secretary-General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) faced the foreign ministers of the member states. Chaired by Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn, the quartet in Paris underwent a structured Grand Oral with short statements, program outlines and a question session from the delegations.

Expected was the incumbent Secretary-General Louise Mushikiwabo, who has been in office since 2019 and promises continuity. She is being challenged by Juliana Amato Lumumba from the Democratic Republic of Congo, who advocates a generational change and stronger African participation; by Mauritanian diplomat Coumba Bâ, who emphasized the perspective of smaller and poorer member states; and by former Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Cioloș, who brought administrative experience and European networks to the table. According to delegation sources, questions focused on the OIF’s financial management, the promotion of French in education and digital media, and the organization’s positioning in multilateral partnerships.

The OIF brings together more than 80 states and governments with different statuses and operates at the intersection of cultural policy, development cooperation and diplomatic coordination. Against this background, the format aimed at solid priorities: from language policy and the cultural creative economy to the promotion of women and youth, to the role of Francophone countries in peace operations and in regulating digital platforms. Several delegations asked about measurable indicators for project impacts, transparency in fund allocation and ways to avoid duplicate structures with other international organizations.

Mushikiwabo’s record of recent years is under debate, including programs for literacy, vocational training and support for Francophone media. The opposing candidates pushed for a modernization of governance, greater regionalization of projects and clear criteria to assess effectiveness in the Global South. Diplomatic circles said that willingness to cooperate with civil society actors and national cultural institutes is seen as a litmus test for the incoming administration.

With the Grand Oral, the OIF has taken a step toward greater transparency in the selection process. Formally, it is the start of further consultations ahead of the decision by the heads of state and government at the next summit in Phnom Penh. There the choice will be made whether to confirm the current course or to mark a new beginning. Until then, delegations are working on evaluation grids and bilateral consultations to translate the candidates’ programmatic commitments into verifiable mandate goals.