French MP Warns Against Macron’s Statements on Algeria

A member of the French National Assembly (Lower Chamber of Parliament), Hubert Julien-Laferrière, expressed his dissatisfaction with the diplomatic approach adopted by French President Emmanuel Macron, and his government headed by Jean Castex, regarding his country’s colonial past, and warned of the repercussions of this policy on relations between France and Algeria.

The French MP was asked about the best way the French government should follow in dealing with the issue of memory and turning the page on the colonial past of France in Algeria, and he replied, “We are facing an unacceptable situation. President Emmanuel Macron described the French colonization of Algeria in 2017 as a crime against humanity, then we hear from the Prime Minister, Jean Castex, another saying that we shouldn’t apologize for the colonial past”, but he did not mention the date of Castex’s statement.

In response to a question by Radio Orient’s journalist, Hubert Julien-Laferrière wondered about the consistency of the diplomatic position adopted by the French executive authority regarding the memory issue, in a video, he posted on his Twitter account.

Commenting on this issue, the French MP added: “I received with great satisfaction the idea of the French President assigning the historian Benjamin Stora to prepare a report on French colonialism in Algeria, including recommendations that would lead to the reconciliation of memory between the two countries”.

However, the problem, in the opinion of the French MP, lies in the statements made by President Macron at the end of last September, which caused a major diplomatic crisis with Algeria. These statements shocked not only the Algerians but also historians, led by the historian Benjamin Stora himself.

Here, the French MP was referring to the question raised by the inmate of the Elysee Palace about the fact that an Algerian nation existed before French colonialism and his talk that Algeria’s official history is not based on facts, as Macron claimed.

It is known that the statements of the French president at that time caused a major diplomatic crisis between Algeria and Paris and caused the summoning of the Algerian ambassador to Paris, Mohamed Antar Daoud, in protest against these statements. The embassy remained vacant for three whole months, and he did not return to his position until after the sudden visit of the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, to Algeria, a visit that was preceded by a French truce, to which both the French President and his Foreign Minister slandered.

The French MP recalled the dangers of such statements on bilateral relations: “It must be warned that the statements of the French president do not serve our diplomatic relations, but rather harm France, as the country of the Declaration of Human Rights and Citizenship has a unique and distinguished position in the international arena, and such a distinguished position is harmed by such statements (Macron), and it does not serve the position of France in the world, which should defend the oppressed”.