French Companies Are Urged To Rebel Against the “Élysée” Policy

The President of the Algerian-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry condemned what he described as an escalation between the two countries. Michel Pisak asserted in a statement reported by French media on Friday, particularly the newspaper “Le Figaro,” that the return of tension between the two capitals poses a real threat to over five billion euros, which represents French exports to Algeria.

The chamber’s president urged “a group of economic representatives and French and Algerian companies, in addition to expatriate companies, to join the initiative started by Presidents Tebboune and Macron, to preserve economic privileges and keep them away from partisan statements, which particularly come from the far right in France and its media arms.”

Michel Pisak, who has been in Algeria for 19 years, commented to the “France Press” agency that the current crisis “is more severe than its predecessors,” and so far it has not had an immediate impact on trade relations.

However, Algeria is capable of putting French exports, which exceed five billion euros, on the brink and dispensing with them, which would be a real blow to the French economy, which is mired in recession and unable to compete and find alternative markets, especially after recent American trends towards encircling European products through taxes that have been frozen for 90 days.

The spokesperson called on French companies dealing with Algerian partners, affected by the deterioration in the business climate due to the political crisis between the two countries, to protest to the relevant French authorities to protect their commercial and economic interests and investments, especially after French authorities prevented one of the company managers from traveling to Algeria to negotiate partnerships.
The Algerian Economic Renewal Council, an organization of employers, had canceled a trip for its members to France that was supposed to bring together Algerian and French businessmen after the phone call that President Abdelmadjid Tebboune received from his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, in response to the decision of the French authorities to ban the travel of Rudolf Sadi, the General Director of the maritime transport company “CMI”.
Then tensions in relations between Algeria and France returned against the backdrop of the arrest of a consular employee by the French Ministry of the Interior, in a showy manner in the street, trampling on all the charters and diplomatic agreements that govern the relations of the two countries in such situations.
This prompted Algeria to respond strongly to this rude behavior from France by expelling 12 French consular staff working at the French Embassy in Algeria, who belong to the Ministry of the Interior.
It is worth noting that trade exchanges between Algeria and France reached nearly 11.1 billion euros in 2024, with French exports to Algeria amounting to 4.8 billion euros and French imports from Algeria mainly consisting of hydrocarbons at 6.3 billion euros.