Tebboune blames French far right for crisis with Paris

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has stepped up his efforts to attribute the current crisis between Algeria and France to the French far right, exonerating the administration of Emmanuel Macron and the foreign ministers. This stance was clearly reflected in his recent media appearance, in a context where official French institutions are seeking to resolve bilateral tensions. 

The official Algerian discourse projects the idea that the conflict with France is confined to the most radical sectors of French politics, suggesting that only current leaders are authorised to address controversial issues. However, the figures and approaches indicate that French institutions, and not a particular political movement, are interested in reconciliation. One example of this is the case of the detained writer Boualem Sansal, whose situation has been personally defended by Macron, beyond ideologies. 

Tebboune, in his appearance, sought to reduce French political representation to the figure of Macron and, to a lesser extent, to the Foreign Ministers, given his confidence in the head of Algerian diplomacy, Ahmed Attaf. This strategy has been maintained since the beginning of the crisis eight months ago, when Algeria began to attribute the tension exclusively to the far right, distancing it from the official French hierarchy and its moderate figures, including Macron himself, despite his positions that have made Algeria uncomfortable, such as his firm defence of Sansal.

While Macron urged Tebboune to intervene through a presidential pardon, following the prosecution's request for a severe sentence against Sansal, the French president used this situation as an emblem in several statements, including the one that sparked Algerian outrage, claiming that Algeria ‘is humiliating itself by imprisoning Boualem Sansal’. 

Despite the ideological differences between French political movements, there have been no major discrepancies in their official positions towards Algeria on key issues such as immigration, bilateral agreements or support for Morocco in the Western Sahara conflict. However, Algeria has tried to capitalise on the political divisions in France, reaching out to the left and the moderates to strengthen its ties.

Tebboune's appearance reflected a notable uncertainty regarding the relationship with his historical European partner. He did not propose clear conditions or visions for normalisation, trusting that the solution would come from Macron. At the same time, initiatives have been promoted such as the acceleration in Parliament of the bill that penalises colonialism, a measure that further aggravates tensions. 

The Algerian president played down the crisis, saying that they consider President Macron ‘the only authority and we are working together’. He stressed that the resolution must come from Macron or his Foreign Minister, reiterating that the current conflict is a fabrication motivated by the political chaos in France. ‘There is widespread chaos and a great political uproar in France over a completely invented dispute’, he explained. 

However, these words contrasted with the actions of his own Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which hours earlier had condemned France for breaching bilateral agreements, such as the refusal to extradite former Algerian minister Abdeslam Bouchouareb, wanted by the Algerian justice system. 

For his part, Macron has stood firm in his defence of Sansal's freedom, aligning himself with the positions most critical of Algeria and reiterating his confidence that Tebboune ‘will find a quick solution for the writer's release’, thus reinforcing a narrative that has not only strained relations but has polarised both countries on the diplomatic stage.