The France-Africa Summit held in Nice from 31st May – 1st June apparently marked a discontinuity in the complex relationship linking France and Africa. In his third year of rule, it was time for Sarkozy to signal the difference from his predecessors on African policy. However, the deep links between France and Africa which encompass political, economic and cultural spheres, are yet to be substantially subverted. The priorities underlying the relationship between France and Africa suggest interesting correlations with those of Italian policies for Africa.