French President Emmanuel Macron wishes to appoint Christophe Lecourtier, the current French ambassador to Morocco, as the head of the French Development Agency (AFD). The announcement was made on Tuesday, March 9 by the Elysée Palace. However, this nomination is subject to the approval of the relevant parliamentary committees and the opinion of the High Authority for Transparency in Public Life.
At 63 years old, this former student of the ENA has a career combining diplomacy, economics, and the promotion of French attractiveness. Former CEO of Business France between 2017 and 2022, Christophe Lecourtier previously worked in the ministerial offices of Nicolas Sarkozy and Christine Lagarde at Bercy. He then pursued a diplomatic career, serving as the French ambassador to Australia (2014-2017), then to Serbia in 2017, before being appointed ambassador to Morocco in December 2022.
If confirmed, he will succeed Rémy Rioux, who has been leading the AFD since 2016. After nearly ten years at the helm of the institution – a record – the latter is expected to leave his position at the end of his term on May 3. According to the French Development Agency, Rémy Rioux will be called upon to take on new responsibilities related to international financial issues and Africa.
He will also retain the presidency of Finance in Common (FiCS), the global network of public development banks that he launched in 2020 and which now brings together over 550 public financial institutions worldwide.
This transition comes at a strategic moment for the AFD, a key player in development financing, particularly in Africa, where the group plays a major role in infrastructure projects, energy transition, and sustainable development.
