Driencourt Blames Stora for France’s Retreat in the Face of Algeria

The repercussions of Ségolène Royal’s visit to Algeria, as president of the “France-Algeria Association,” continue to generate controversy in French right-wing media and on television programs.

They consider the visit an Algerian incursion into the French state, given that it occurred amidst an unprecedented crisis in Franco-Algerian relations that has persisted for nearly two years.

Xavier Driencourt, the former French ambassador to Algeria for two terms, was among the most vocal critics of the visit. He reacted directly to the demands made by Ségolène Royal to the French authorities, urging them to address Algeria’s concerns regarding historical memory, such as the return of archives, maps of nuclear tests in southern Algeria, and the personal belongings of Emir Abdelkader, including the Baba Merzoug cannon.

In response to the demands raised by Ségolène Royal, Xavier Driencourt confidently declared that France “will not return the archives to Algeria!” This statement raises serious questions about its sincerity, suggesting that the retired diplomat is privy to the inner workings of the French deep state, which has repeatedly demonstrated its role in preventing any improvement in bilateral relations.

Xavier Driencourt, a historian and expert on Algerian-French relations, also held Benjamin Stora responsible for the mismanagement of relations between Algeria and Paris since the presidencies of former French President François Hollande and his successor, Emmanuel Macron.

In a lecture at the Catholic Institute of the Vendée on January 30, 2026, Xavier Driencourt stated that the change in France’s approach to Algeria was due to the strong influence of historian Benjamin Stora on Presidents François Hollande and Emmanuel Macron.

Xavier Driencourt’s stance on historian Benjamin Stora aligns with that of many French far-right thinkers, such as philosopher Michel Onfray, who was quick to demand that the Élysée Palace cease relying on Stora’s advice regarding relations with Algeria. Onfray argued that Stora was too close to the Algerian position, a claim the historian denies, repeatedly asserting his impartiality towards both countries, unlike his French opponents, who, he claims, lack objectivity.

Benjamin Stora is presented as an advisor to the Élysée Palace on matters of historical memory under the current president, Macron, who commissioned him to prepare a report on the memory of French colonialism in Algeria, which he delivered in 2021. Stora also currently heads, on the French side, the joint commission of Algerian and French historians tasked with examining the issue of historical memory. This commission’s work has been suspended since the French president decided to support the Moroccan regime’s plan in Western Sahara.

The former French ambassador to Algeria claims that the consultations Stora provides to the French presidency have created a state of confusion within the French political class, which he said has fallen into a trap regarding the issue of historical memory—a subject in which Algerians have excelled. This has led to the formulation of hardline Algerian demands such as “apology” and “repentance”—terms that have never been uttered by any political official in the Algerian state.

Driencourt also held the French president responsible for the difficult situation Paris finds itself in today amidst the current crisis, saying: “Macron should have convened the (former) Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, along with (former) Prime Minister François Bayrou and former Minister of Defense and current Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, six months before deciding to change the government’s stance on the Western Sahara issue, to take the necessary steps so that he could act with greater ease… We are paying the price today for this decision.”

For his part, former French minister Philippe de Villiers attacked the head of the “France Algeria Association” because of her statements in Algeria regarding memory, and considered this, on the airwaves of “Europe 1”, a betrayal of the Pied-Noirs and the Harkis, whom he considered “the honor of France,” accusing Royal of being in the service of Algeria, according to his claim.