French Senator Clearly Exposes The Right Wing’s Narrative Of The “Algerian Bogeyman”

French Senator Akli Mellouli turned the tables on the narrative promoted by the far-right, ahead of Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez’s anticipated visit to Algeria in late November or early December.

While some political voices in Paris continue to portray Algeria as a “bogeyman” threatening France, Mellouli presented a completely different perspective, calling on French officials to abandon fearful rhetoric and deal with Algeria rationally and through a partnership based on mutual respect.

The French Senator of Algerian origin, and Vice-President of the French-Algerian Friendship Group in the Senate, commented on the French Parliament’s vote on October 30 to cancel the 1968 agreement with Algeria, stating that it reproduces old hate speech fueled by colonial history.

Mellouli called on Nuñez to adopt a realistic and calm approach in addressing sensitive issues between Algeria and France, noting in an interview with “Global Africa” channel that “those who fuel the estrangement need a scapegoat and a permanent enemy, and the suitable bogeyman for them is Algeria.”

He added that the National Rally party was founded in 1963 on the ruins of the Algerian war and by members of the Secret Army Organization, describing it as a “vengeful party” living on illusions and fantasies.

Regarding the 1968 agreement, he clarified: “There is nothing exceptional in this agreement,” criticizing those who try to mislead public opinion into believing that Algerians enjoy special privileges, and emphasizing that Algerians face obstacles in administrative procedures within France.

He pointed to the “neo-colonial tendency” which he said has returned strongly to the French political scene, adding: “In essence, it is clear that Algerians are the affected party. Moreover, Algeria can also review or cancel all agreements with France, including those related to gas and oil and the properties occupied by French diplomatic representations in Algeria.”

He offered some advice to the Interior Minister, urging him to “set aside prejudices and fallacies,” and encouraged him to “look at matters with concrete facts, away from media noise or political exploitation.”

He also implicitly criticized former interior minister Bruno Retailleau, who exaggerated the crisis with Algeria in the media, and called for “arm-twisting” and a “gradual response” without achieving any results, which Nuñez opposed and considered completely futile.

He concluded by saying: “We must do things calmly, and in a spirit of dialogue because our role is to remain within the framework of international law,” stressing that “this is not an issue of French elected officials of Algerian origin, but an issue of two sovereign states.”

It is worth noting that Nuñez had recently confirmed that the hardline approach adopted by some French politicians in recent months had not achieved any results, and on the contrary, led to a complete break of communication channels between the two countries, at a time when France needs close cooperation with Algeria, especially in migration, security, and counter-terrorism issues.