Elysee decisions complicated the crisis and failed to bring Algeria to its knees 

Two former advisors to former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and former President François Hollande criticized the way Emmanuel Macron’s administration is dealing with the escalating political and diplomatic crisis between Algeria and Paris.

This approach has caused internal French division, which Algeria has exploited to win the battle so far.

Gaspard Gantzer, advisor to former French President François Hollande (2012 / 2017), expressed his astonishment at Macron’s handling of the crisis with Algeria, saying: “I am very surprised, and I do not think that the method used is effective in the policy of balance of power and negotiations in managing the crisis between Algeria and France.”

According to Gaspard Gantzer, who was a guest on the French private channel “BFM TV”, the method used by Macron and his entourage “will add more confusion and bewilderment (in managing the crisis), and it is even poisonous due to its repercussions internally, especially at the government level.” As for its repercussions, according to the speaker, they “will delay the deadlines for restoring dialogue with the Algerians, who show a lot of firmness and strictness” with French provocations, warning: “Escalation cannot continue indefinitely.”

The former advisor at the Elysee Palace warned of the dangers threatening French interests in Algeria if the escalation continues, saying: “The Algerians will take the properties on which the French embassy in Algeria and the ambassador’s residence are located. We do not know what the next step is? And we are pouring more oil on the fire.”

Gaspard Gantzer asserted that “no Frenchman sincerely believes that pressure (on Algeria) will be effective, even Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau himself, as the proponent of the ‘balance of power’ option in managing the crisis with Algeria, an option that has not added anything to the French side, but rather has cost Paris a lot of its weight in this conflict, which will undoubtedly have geopolitical repercussions on France’s position as a great power, as observers market it, which prompted him to call on the Elysee Palace to ‘seek common ground for agreement’.”

The position of Henri Guaino, special advisor to former French President Nicolas Sarkozy (2007 / 2012), does not differ from that of former President François Hollande’s advisor. He believes that Paris lacks the cards that would push Algeria to back down from its steadfast position in the face of French provocations.

In light of this, Henri Guaino noted the failure of the French authorities’ strategy in managing the crisis, saying: “The mistake the French made is that they reveal everything they intend to do to pressure Algeria amidst internal divisions,” referring to the lack of political consensus on Macron’s decision to join his interior minister, Bruno Retailleau’s, endeavor, after he had publicly criticized him weeks earlier.

According to Sarkozy’s advisor, the balance of power approach exists in managing relations between states and nations, but this balance of power must be “behind closed doors and not in public,” because saying everything in public, including threats and pressure, according to Henri Guaino, is ridiculous and contradicts diplomacy.

Henri Guaino criticized the policy of deadlines that Paris tried to employ in managing the crisis with Algeria, but it failed, saying: “No country in the world accepts the policy of deadlines.”

He added: “If this strategy succeeded in the case of US President Donald Trump with Colombia, it proved unsuccessful with Algeria, because we cannot isolate it (Algeria), as it has its allies, Russia and China, and they even have partners in Europe, such as Italy and Spain. Therefore, we should not make meaningless shows.”