Gérald Darmanin Only Mentions France’s Concerns With Algeria!

As usual, the French side tries every time to give the impression that the visits of its officials and ministers to Algeria were merely a stop over to discuss issues of concern only to the French side, in an attempt to establish a narrative that the Algerian side has no outstanding issues, despite their existence and accumulation.

This is embodied in the statements made by the French Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals, Gérald Moussa Darmanin, after the conclusion of his visit to Algeria and his return to Paris, which all point in one direction. He extensively spoke about the French national, Christophe Gleizes, who was sentenced to seven years in prison in a case related to supporting and praising terrorism.

Darmanin, during his appearance on “CNews” and “Europe 1” channels, which are affiliated with the far-right, ignored all the concerns that Algeria placed on the discussion table during the visit. He spoke in a language dominated by much cunning and political hypocrisy when talking about Christophe Gleizes, saying: “We have reiterated the necessity of returning Christophe Gleizes not to France, but to his mother.”

He also appealed to President Tebboune in his statements to respond to this French concern, when he indicated that Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune “will be understanding of this matter anyway (…) I trust him to do so.” He also said that he was “very reassured” about the way the French national “is being dealt with,” in an interview on Tuesday, May 19.

In contrast, the French official did not refer to the case of the Algerian consular employee who has been in prison in France for over a year, and who is also awaited by his wife, children, and extended family, who will spend Eid for the second consecutive time without him, due to a conspiracy orchestrated by the former French Minister of Interior, Bruno Retailleau, who then left the government, leaving it as a ticking time bomb on the path of bilateral relations.

While he extensively spoke about French concerns, such as the extradition of those accused in what is called in French “Mafia des Zeds,” who are said to be in Algeria, he did not refer at all to the case of those wanted by the Algerian judiciary who are on French soil, against whom final decisions have been issued, such as the fugitive Minister of Industry, Abdeslam Bouchouareb, and those involved in criminal cases related to undermining the country’s stability and targeting its security and territorial integrity. These are issues that the Algerian side previously confirmed that Paris did not cooperate on in 61 judicial requests.

How can these statements be interpreted, and are they likely to create a breakthrough with the other party, represented by Algeria?

A diplomatic expert interviewed by “Echorouk” believes that negotiations on outstanding and sensitive issues take place behind closed doors, and therefore, what Gérald Darmanin said does not necessarily indicate the reality of what is happening. He said that “the statements of the French Minister of Justice, however they are interpreted, are directed at the French public opinion, especially when it comes to an issue that strongly pressures the Macron administration, which is the case of journalist Christophe Gleizes, but the full truth remains behind closed doors.”

Moreover, these statements were made to media outlets affiliated with the far-right, which usually accuses French President Emmanuel Macron of submitting to Algeria. Therefore, he seeks to send signals of the success of his visit, which was not met with consensus in France, but the decision of pardon remains with President Tebboune, especially since Algeria has other demands that cannot be compromised.

The diplomatic analyst also interpreted these statements as being driven by a desire to achieve “political gains,” because highlighting positive points as outcomes of this visit could raise his standing as a political figure who succeeded in achieving an accomplishment, especially since Gérald Darmanin is not ruled out as a candidate for the upcoming French presidential elections, from the camp of the French President (Renaissance party), who seeks to retain the presidency about a year from now.

The other fact pointed out by the expert is that “each party has the right to focus on the concerns that matter to it, and leave the rest of the concerns to the other party, which must explain and clarify them to its own public opinion, and this is a known matter in diplomatic norms and relations between states.”