New Book Examines the Roots of the Algeria-France Rift

The deepening crisis in Algerian-French relations continues to attract the attention of writers and journalists, particularly in France, where many members of the country’s political and intellectual establishment have been unsettled by the unprecedented level of tension between the two countries since the summer of 2024.

The crisis was triggered by a decision taken by French President Emmanuel Macron that came despite a stern warning from Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune before the decision was announced.

The dispute is at the heart of a new book due to be published on September 30 by French publishing house Stock. Written by French journalists Christophe Dubois and Marie-Christine Tabet, Algiers–Paris: Toxic Affairs offers an in-depth investigation into the deterioration of Algerian-French relations over the past decade.

According to excerpts reviewed by Echorouk, the book traces the relationship’s transformation from a period of “historic passion” into what the authors characterize as a “toxic relationship.” The tensions, they argue, encompass a wide range of interconnected issues, including history and memory, colonialism, migration, security, diplomacy and intelligence, as well as a number of other contentious files.

Among the central issues examined by the authors is the political crisis that has strained relations between Algeria’s El Mouradia Palace and France’s Élysée Palace. The book describes a point at which President Abdelmadjid Tebboune reportedly stopped responding to calls from his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron—a narrative that has circulated previously in various accounts of the deteriorating relationship.

The authors say the book draws on interviews with around 100 people directly involved in Algerian-French relations, including ministers, diplomats, intelligence officials and political refugees. They also say they gained access to previously unpublished documents, which they use to shed light on what they describe as the “behind-the-scenes of a new Cold War” between Algeria and France.

One notable aspect of the authors’ treatment of the crisis is their emphasis on a number of disputes that have dominated the bilateral relationship. These include French demands for the return of Algerian nationals subject to expulsion orders, the imprisonment of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, and the case of sports journalist Christophe Gleizes, who is serving a seven-year prison sentence in a case involving the supporting and glorifying of terrorism.

The book also links the deterioration in bilateral relations to the political transformations Algeria underwent following the 2019 Hirak protest movement and their impact on the country’s political landscape and relations with France. It describes an increasingly complex web of disputes, with both sides accusing the other of what the authors characterize as “mutual security and intelligence networks and operations.”

Dubois and Tabet argue that the legacy of French colonial rule and the memory of the Algerian War continue to exert considerable pressure on bilateral relations, contributing to the recurrence of political crises. In their view, France has yet to formulate what they describe as a sufficiently courageous and responsible position acknowledging the crimes committed during 132 years of colonial rule in Algeria and offering an apology for them.

Another issue addressed by the book is the changing place of the so-called “Algerian question” in French politics. Once largely associated with right-wing and far-right parties, the issue has increasingly become a source of division across a broader segment of the French political spectrum.

The authors point to hostile statements by some potential candidates for France’s next presidential election, noting that not all of them belong to the traditional right-wing political currents. The issue has also reached figures previously associated with the political center, including Édouard Philippe, who served as prime minister under President Emmanuel Macron.

One of the principal conclusions reached by Dubois and Tabet is that the crisis between Algiers and Paris cannot be understood simply as a personal dispute between Presidents Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Emmanuel Macron. Instead, they portray the relationship as one in which Algeria and France, despite their repeated confrontations, remain deeply interconnected.

The timing of the book’s publication is also significant. It comes only months before France’s presidential election next year, placing relations with Algeria among the issues likely to feature prominently in the French political debate.

The book appears to offer an account drawn from within political, diplomatic and security circles rather than merely providing a journalistic analysis of bilateral relations. The influence of a former French ambassador to Algeria also appears to be present in the work, with the authors referring to testimony from a former ambassador without identifying the diplomat by name.