The proposal to set up courses in English in French Universities rises always heated debates. In this article published on “La Vie” by Henrik Lindell, Laurent Chalard, ECIA Fellow, argues that the number of Francophones in the world will grow considerably in the coming decades, due to the high population growth in the former African colonies. In 2050, several hundred million people will speak French. Then, according to Chalard, the language of Voltaire and Napoleon will have still a role to play in international relations.