Tebboune begins his mandate postponing the promised government crisis and without a clear political programme
The absence of a national dialogue and the serious problems of the Algerian economy are the main unresolved issues of the Algerian president's second term in office
The start of the second term of the newly re-elected Algerian president, Abdelmajid Tebboune, seems as disappointing as international observers and the opposition had feared.
Indeed, there was little hope for a change of direction at the helm of the Algerian government after a disputed election, which was won overwhelmingly by the incumbent president, with no representative opposition and a string of candidates disqualified for various reasons in the months leading up to the elections.
No government crisis
To begin with, Tebboune has reneged on one of the commitments made during the election campaign: on 17 September, a communiqué from the Algerian presidency indicated that Prime Minister Nadhir Arbawi had resigned from the full government. This resignation was rejected by Tebboune himself, who argued that it was necessary for the ministers to continue working on the different urgent matters that they have in their departments, which require knowledge of the situation.
This decision came as no surprise to political analysts who follow Algerian politics closely, and who harbour little hope that Tebboune's new mandate will bring about a substantial change with respect to the last five years.
Appearing at the People's Palace in Algiers to take the oath of office for his second and final term, Tebboune said that ‘I assume this mandate thanks to you in this sensitive period characterised by challenges at the domestic, regional and international levels’, leaving behind an Algeria that was ‘betrayed, exhausted and corrupt’, in reference to the mandate of the previous president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Government priorities
During his speech, the president-elect referred to the main points of his electoral programme, which has been widely criticised for its lack of concrete details and a comprehensive policy aimed at achieving the country's economic recovery.
Thus, Tebboune alluded to the need to achieve total self-sufficiency in cereals such as durum wheat, barley and maize, and to extend irrigated areas to one million hectares.
On employment, the president-elect said in his speech that ‘we will work to create jobs, and I pledge before you to create 450,000 jobs for our young people and 20,000 new businesses by the end of the second term, as well as 20,000 new investment projects and for industry's contribution to production to reach 12%’.
These are words that opponents and observers have described as empty, given that Tebboune himself has yet to present before the two chambers of parliament a balance sheet and accountability for the five years of his first term, as he had publicly promised, nor the details of the policies that he will implement in this second term in office.
Diplomatic crisis
The problem is that there is no effective opposition to Tebboune in parliament, which is dominated by independent parties loyal to the re-elected president. International observers agree that the country's economic situation requires a mobilisation of Algeria's resources, a strategic vision to tackle unemployment, provide health and education services, and promote development and the economy.
Internationally, the aggressive foreign policy that characterised Tebboune's first term in office has led to numerous crises with neighbouring countries, the rest of the region and even the world. Morocco, the Gulf countries, Spain, France and even Russia have been the target of Tebboune's government's wrath, which has become increasingly isolated on the international stage, at a time when the complicated situation in the Sahel countries makes a policy of seeking allies advisable.
Lack of national dialogue
On the domestic front, in addition to the lack of concrete economic and social policies, Tebboune is criticised for not fulfilling his commitment to open a national dialogue with the rest of the political actors in order to establish genuine democracy.
Tebboune's only reference to this national dialogue during his inauguration speech was when he stated his intention to ‘open a national political dialogue that includes all vital political and youth energies’, again without specifying what kind of contacts and with which political organisations.
Everything suggests that national dialogue will continue to be a pending issue for Tebboune's government, which, since coming to power in 2019, has surrounded itself with loyal political parties and has excluded opposition parties, even preventing them from standing in the recent presidential elections.
The opposition demands that the re-elected president, if he wants to be credible in his aspirations to carry out a national dialogue, as demanded by the Workers' Party, the Rally for Culture and Democracy and the Front of Socialist Forces, must offer guarantees such as the lifting of political restrictions and censorship of the media, as well as the release of political prisoners.