Is the French Ambassador to Algeria Persona Non Grata?
The French Ambassador to Algeria, Stéphane Romatet, has found himself in a real predicament after his participation in a television program broadcast by France 2 last Thursday.
The program exacerbated tensions between the two countries following insults directed at prominent figures in Algerian state institutions.
The strongly worded statement issued by the Algerian Foreign Ministry, which followed the summoning of the French Chargé d’Affaires in Algiers, Gilles Bourbao, in response to the television program, suggested that the French Ambassador had overstepped his diplomatic role and engaged in a hostile campaign against Algeria. The Algerian Foreign Ministry was careful to use the phrase “the French Ambassador to Algeria has been involved in actions that clearly contradict the exercise of his duties, as defined by laws and enshrined in international norms.”
The position of the French ambassador to Algeria, who has been in France since April 2024 after being recalled by French President Emmanuel Macron, is now unenviable. Observers speculate that the Algerian authorities may later take a sovereign decision to declare Stéphane Romatet persona non grata, especially given that the Algerian Foreign Ministry statement affirmed that “the Algerian government reserves the right to take all measures necessitated by the seriousness of such actions.”
The current French ambassador was brought in by the producers of the French television program to replace the previous ambassador, Xavier Driencourt, known for his obsession with all things Algerian. This followed scathing remarks from the Algerian Press Agency (APS) before the program’s broadcast, which strongly criticised Driencourt without naming him. This may have influenced the French television network, which attempted to mitigate the situation but failed to resolve the escalating crisis.
Commenting on the Algerian authorities’ stance regarding the French provocation, in which Ambassador Stéphane Romatet played an unfortunate role, retired diplomat Mustapha Zeghlache believes that the Algerian authorities’ anger remains justified. He argues that the television program’s content clearly aimed to escalate tensions with Algeria by targeting certain Algerian figures with unacceptable descriptions, thus implicating the ambassador himself in this escalation, which contradicts his diplomatic mission.
In statements to Echorouk newspaper, the retired diplomat asserted that the French ambassador, who is carrying out his duties from Paris after being recalled, should have adhered to the principle of discretion, especially since the television program’s content was directed against the host country. He explained that, according to diplomatic norms, the ambassador should strive to cultivate good relations with the officials of the host country, and this can only be achieved by avoiding any actions that might offend the host country.
This is not the first time the French ambassador to Algeria has made media statements addressing the escalating diplomatic crisis between the two countries. Earlier this month, Stéphane Romatet gave an interview to Radio France Internationale, where he spoke at length about the repercussions of the law criminalising French colonialism in Algeria, as well as the conviction of sports journalist Christophe Gleizes, who was sentenced to seven years in prison for supporting and praising terrorism.
Mustapha Zeghlash believes that the French ambassador’s participation in that program justified the Algerian authorities to take any action against him, as is their sovereign right under diplomatic laws and customs. The retired diplomat would not be surprised if, after carefully reviewing the case, the Algerian authorities declared Stéphane Romatet persona non grata.
