Acknowledging Paris’s Limited Room for Manoeuvre with Algeria

Many in the French elite are convinced that Paris’s room for maneuver in finding a face-saving way out regarding sports journalist Christophe Gleizes has become “extremely limited,” given the complexities of the political and diplomatic crisis between the two countries and the accumulation of unresolved issues, most of which remain hostage to a high-level French political decision amidst the power struggles within the French state.

Under the headline “Christophe Gleizes’ Conviction: Can France Still Act?”, the right-wing weekly Le Point delved into the complexities of the crisis in bilateral relations between Algeria and Paris, and its repercussions on the imprisonment of Christophe Gleizes, who was sentenced by the Algerian judiciary to seven years in prison.

In a rare occurrence for the right-wing French media, the weekly acknowledged that there are pressing issues of concern to Algeria that France must address, admitting that “the margin for political manoeuvring is extremely limited.” It quoted a source familiar with bilateral relations as saying, “It seems the Algerians believe that the case of (journalist Christophe Gleizes) represents a bargaining chip which they might be inclined to use as leverage in several other matters.”

The weekly Le Point, citing its sources, acknowledged that it is difficult for the authorities in Paris to respond to Algerian demands. It identified these concerns as the imprisonment of the Algerian consular official, whose arrest and detention violated diplomatic norms, laws, and treaties, most notably the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and the repercussions of the pardon granted by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune as well.

Commenting on the situation of the French authorities, particularly President Emmanuel Macron, it wrote: “On these issues, it is difficult for Paris to back down. How can it release someone under investigation, ban a public gathering (referring to the MAK terrorist group), or censor a writer (referring to Boualem Sansal) without abandoning its values? The firmness that Bruno Retailleau (the former Interior Minister) had hoped for has become impossible.”

However, the newspaper, citing a senior official, reported that France is using leverage instead of responding to legitimate Algerian demands. This leverage includes halting the issuance of visas to Algerian nationals and prohibiting financial transfers from France to Algeria—decisions that remain largely unenforceable.

Furthermore, according to the same source who spoke to Le Point, the French fear a violent reaction from the other side, represented by the Algerian authorities. Even more alarming is the potential mobilisation of Algerians residing in France, as expressed by the aforementioned source: “…but I will not bear responsibility for what happens here in France, within the Algerian community.”

The statements of the “senior” French official reveal how politicians in Paris think when it comes to Algeria. They want the pardon for the French journalist, who was convicted on charges related to supporting and praising terrorism, while simultaneously ignoring the numerous concerns of Algerians, such as the extradition of wanted individuals, despite the existence of extradition agreements. These include former Industry Minister, Abdeslam Bouchouareb, and dozens of others accused of terrorism, and the consular official who was abducted by Bruno Retailleau’s police as well—a logic no reasonable person would accept.

Extending this pessimistic view of the efforts to secure the release of Christophe Gleizes, the weekly discusses the difficulties faced by the French diplomatic mission in Algeria. It reports a consular service deficit due to the Algerian authorities’ refusal to grant visas to French officials for months, to the point that France is no longer able to compensate for the 20% staff reduction at its embassy.

While the French authorities claim that the case of the kidnapped Algerian consular official is complicated because it is in the hands of the judicial system, they are demanding the release of a person convicted of terrorism by the Algerian judges, in a shameful position that the official couldn’t declare, due to the arrogance and condescension that no longer has a place in relations between countries, especially those that do not discuss the issue of sovereignty, such as Algeria.