Jean-Pierre Chevènement and Ségolène Royal on trial for France’s democracy

Two of the French political figures that President Abdelmadjid Tebboune spoke about in his interview with the French newspaper L’Opinion, describing them as the voice of reason, have come out to express their rejection of the escalation and exaggeration of the crisis that has plagued Algerian-French relations in recent months.

They are Jean-Pierre Chevènement, who held several ministerial portfolios in France, such as interior, defense and education, and Ségolène Royal, a former candidate in the 2007 French presidential elections, who also held ministerial portfolios and was a member of parliament.

In his interview with L’opinion, President Tebboune criticized the French media’s marginalization of balanced political figures, while opening the way for right-wing extremists who have tampered with bilateral relations. “There are intellectuals and politicians whom we respect, such as Jean-Pierre Raffarin, Ségolène Royal and Dominique de Villepin, who is highly respected in the Arab world, they should speak and not let journalists interrupt them, especially in media owned by (businessman Vincent Bolloré) whose only and daily concern has become to destroy the image of Algeria,” said Tebboune.

Taking advantage of this statement, the right-wing newspaper Le Figaro went directly to French statesman Jean-Pierre Chevenement, asking him the following question: “In an interview published by Le Pen on Monday, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune mentioned you among the “intellectuals and politicians that [Algeria] respects in France”. Can France and Algeria overcome the estrangement that seems to have developed between them?”

Jean-Pierre Chevènement’s response was diplomatic and stood at the same distance from both sides, although he strongly advocated for his country’s interest in maintaining stable relations: “France and Algeria have emotional ties linked to history, but their interest lies in overcoming disagreements and arguments. The number of Algerians or French-Algerians in France is actually around 3 million. We are Algeria’s main partner in the northern Mediterranean. Algeria is undoubtedly the most important country for France in Africa, so much so that it is a major outlet for its exports. Bilateral trade totals about 12 billion euros a year, a figure that is growing.”

He spoke of Algerians being ahead of other nationalities in obtaining residency in France in 2024, an increase of 1.8 percent, but ignored the arbitrary expulsions that took place while many Algerian nationals were waiting in French municipalities to finalize legal marriages, in municipalities controlled by the right and far-right in blatant violation of French law and the 1968 Convention.

On the other hand, he was very kind to Interior Minister Breno Retailleau, who caused the crisis between Algeria and Paris because of his racist statements towards Algeria, but also because of his illegal and undiplomatic decisions, especially when he decided to expel the influencer Doualemn , outside the framework of justice, and a second national, forcing the Algerian side to send them back to French territory on the two planes that took them, in order to defend themselves before the French justice.

“Bruno Retailleau’s goal is to achieve the normalization of bilateral relations (…),” said Chevènement, denying that he is escalating against Algeria. “I call on our Algerian friends to reread the book: “I invite our Algerian friends to reread the last interview Retailleau gave to L’Express. “He speaks clearly about the goal of normalizing bilateral relations and an equal relationship. He is not looking for escalation but for dialogue,” he said. He also advocated for Sansal’s release, citing General de Gaulle’s refusal to imprison Jean-Paul Sartre in 1960 for his defense of the Algerian revolution.

Ségolène Royal was a guest on the private French channel BFMTV, facing Patrick Stefanini, one of the current interior minister’s men, and George Malbrunot, a right-wing journalist, expressing her refusal to insult Algerians with a phrase already used by French President Emmanuel Macron, that Algerians are using memory as a trade record in the political struggle with France.

“Algerians paid dearly for their independence. The colonization was barbaric, as described by Aimé Césaire,” she said. She expressed her refusal to turn the page on the past, as long as many things have not been brought to light, and strongly criticized the accusations against Algerians as deviants, just because someone was expelled, while provocations against them, such as those issued from time to time by Interior Minister Retailleau, are ignored.

Ségolène Royal considered the treatment of Algerians in France as a denial of what they have done for the French economy and the work they do in French hospitals. The former French presidential candidate strongly responded to journalist Georges Malbruno, who attacked Algeria over the human rights situation, saying: “What do you say about the 15 victims of the yellow vests, who lost their lives in the French streets (in the famous protests more than three years ago)? What about the repression of protesters for the revision of the pension law? Do you think France is setting an example of human rights? France is not the best example of democracy and human rights.”