Algeria “Refuses” To Receive The French Prime Minister

The visit of the French Prime Minister, Jean Castex, to Algeria is not possible, at least, before getting to know the new French president in the upcoming elections next month, a postponement or cancellation that came in the context of a diplomatic movement marked by desperate pressure on Algeria.

These pressures were embodied in the recent Spanish position on the Western Sahara issue, which came, according to diplomatic sources, as a result of coordination between France, the United States of America and Spain, in consultation with the Moroccan Makhzen regime, which is considered the spearhead used by Western powers in order to fuel the instability of the Maghreb region.

After the French presidency had scheduled Castex’s visit on March 23 and 24, and the Algerian ambassador to Paris, Mohamed Antar Daoud, moved to the capital, in order to prepare for arrangements for this visit in cooperation with the French side, the ambassador returned a few days ago to his work in Paris, without the planned visit being fulfilled. Little results were achieved on the ground.

According to diplomatic sources, Algeria’s reservations about receiving the French Prime Minister is motivated by the motive to stay away from the internal disputes in France related to the presidential elections, knowing that Castex, is affiliated with the outgoing President, Emmanuel Macron, who is running for the next presidential polls.
Castex’s visit to Algeria in these circumstances would put the Algerian side in embarrassment, because of the doubts that this might entail about lining up with the outgoing president candidate, while Macron did not provide anything to intercede for him so that Algeria would stand with him in the electoral battle. , especially after the denial that characterized his positions after his election as president, towards the country he visited in 2017 and received support from him.

However, this justification remains of a purely diplomatic nature, although it appears at first glance that it is acceptable, but this does not hide the existence of deep differences between the two countries that prevented the completion of this visit on time.

There are many outstanding issues between the two countries, on top of which is the issue of the movement of people, which has greatly damaged bilateral relations, since the unilateral decision of the French authorities to halve the number of visas granted to Algerians last September. Representatives of the two countries tried to deal with this file before the date of Castex’s visit, but the hoped-for progress did not take place.

In addition, there are other files that are no less sensitive, including the memory file, which the French president was unable to move forward despite the efforts he showed, so that it remained revolving in the ocean in which his predecessors had moved to the Elysee Palace, but without daring to get out of it, or cross the lines drawn by his predecessors.

In the same context, sources familiar with this file are concerned that Paris, while it was attending with Algeria to arrange a visit by Castex, was also active on another axis out of sight, which is the tripartite alliance formed by Spain and the United States of America, which produced a surprising Spanish government’s position on the Sahrawi issue, as the Spanish press said that the letter sent by the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, to the monarch of the Moroccan Makhzen regime, was written in French (…).

According to diplomatic sources, Paris, after being unable to pressure Algeria in order to achieve gains in some files, especially those related to the opening of the gas pipeline passing through Morocco to Spain, resorted to another trick, which is coordination with the US administration, notably secretary of state, Anthony Blinken who is expected to visit Algeria later this week. According to sources connected to this file, Algeria appears unwilling to reverse its decision, no matter the cost.