French President Emmanuel Macron has missed another opportunity for genuine memory reconciliation with Algeria on the 65th anniversary of the October 17, 1961, massacres. The Élysée Palace issued a formal statement that placed responsibility on specific individuals, such as former police chief Maurice Papon, while stopping short of acknowledging the responsibility of the French state. Historian Benjamin Stora warned that Paris’s continued avoidance of acknowledging state-committed colonial crimes only serves to fuel resentment and bitterness. Stora emphasized in recent media comments that delays in confronting the past worsen bilateral relations. Mounting pressure is visible within France, as dozens of mayors have signed a petition demanding the official recognition of the October 17 events as a state crime, arguing that Macron’s 2021 symbolic visit is insufficient to address the weight of history.