France, March 2 -- France has set up a commission to assess the impact and transparency of its development aid, following allegations by the far right that taxpayers' money is being squandered overseas - echoing similar claims by the United States administration, which has frozen its foreign aid programmes.

France's Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget was cut by 35 percent in the recently approved spending bill, following pressure from the country's conservative-dominated Senate. The ODA budget for 2025 now stands at €3.8 billion.

The French minister of foreign affairs, Jean-Noel Barrot, announced last week the creation of a commission to evaluate ODA, highlighting the need for transparency and accountability.

"We will a...