French Interior Minister’s Visit to Algeria: A Rise From “Below Zero”
As expected, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez’s visit to Algeria remained largely technical, focusing on police and judicial cooperation, general security matters, and immigration. These were the issues emphasised by the French official in his brief closing remarks at the end of the long-delayed visit.
In Algeria, as in France, the media, both public and those aligned with influential French lobbies in Paris, did not celebrate the visit. They merely reported on what had been agreed upon, as stated by the French official, who did not dare to address issues he had previously considered crucial to the success of his visit.
It was noteworthy that Laurent Nunez made no mention of the case of French sports journalist Christophe Gleizes, who is serving a seven-year prison sentence for supporting and praising terrorism. Gleizes apologised and sought pardon before the appeals court, indicating that relations between the two countries have yet to address sensitive issues. It’s worth noting that security cooperation remains a concern even between countries with deep disagreements, as is the case between Russia and France. This suggests that the restoration of security cooperation, in the view of observers, is merely a step up from a point of no return.
This can be seen in the way the moderate French media reacted to the visit’s outcomes, viewing it with a degree of scepticism and distrust. They described the visit as purely “technical,” with some even considering it an attempt to “restore trust in relations between the two countries.” Others, however, pointed to President Tebboune’s acceptance of Laurent Nunez’s invitation as “a positive gesture and an attempt at positive and effective communication for the benefit of both nations.”
Right-wing and far-right media, owned by businessman Vincent Bolloré, reacted to the visit with derision, arguing that Laurent Nuñez’s visit had achieved little to no breakthrough in destabilising the Algerian regime or pushing it to abandon its long-standing policy of non-compliance with France.
From an Algerian perspective, Saad Laanani, a member of parliament representing the Algerian community in France, believes that the French Interior Minister’s visit to Algeria “can be considered the beginning of breaking down the wall of estrangement that deepened after the arrival of his predecessor, Bruno Retailleau, at the Palais de Beauvoir, who ushered in an era of sharp estrangement and aggressive policies towards Algeria.”
The Algerian MP, speaking to Echourouk from France, attributed the “return of cautious calm to bilateral relations” to the role played by the current Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, who had “made friendly, or rather pragmatic, statements, unlike his predecessor. He expressed a willingness to rectify relations with Algeria and reverse the provocative approach established by his predecessor, Bruno Retailleau.”
For his part, MP Laanani echoed the interpretation shared by the French and Algerian media, as well as observers of bilateral relations. He emphasised the technical nature of the visit, citing the Algerian guest’s statement that “the visit was purely technical and did not address the normalisation of relations between the two countries.” Laanani added, “This visit has very limited significance, but in the political arena, it could be the beginning of a new era and a continuation after a long period of estrangement. It might even represent a break, particularly for French policy, which has been anything but rational towards Algeria.”
According to a member of the lower house of parliament, “The Interior Minister’s statement that the visit was technical in nature is simultaneously a clear and explicit acknowledgement of Algeria’s role in combating illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and terrorism in all its forms. This, in reality, is an acknowledgement of the significant role Algeria, its army, and its security services play, particularly in Africa.”
The MP concludes by saying: “Regardless of the technical nature of the visit, the real and deep problems remain unresolved and must be addressed. We expect France to take strong and courageous measures to restore confidence and seriously deal with the other outstanding issues, of which there are many, for which the French side continues to evade responsibility, despite its proven involvement.”