Nunez: “We Are Reviewing The 1968 Agreements As Per Macron’s Directives”

Statements made by the French Minister of Interior, Laurent Nuñez, revealed a change in his stance on addressing the escalating political and diplomatic crisis with Algeria. After focusing on prioritizing calm dialogue over escalation since his arrival at the “Beauvau” palace two months ago, he has now adopted a new rhetoric leaning towards escalation, approaching the positions of his predecessor, Bruno Retailleau.

In an interview with the French newspaper “Le Journal du Dimanche” published on Sunday, Laurent Nuñez spoke about ongoing negotiations with Algeria, using a word that usually elicits a similar response from Algerian authorities due to its condescending connotation. In response to a question from the newspaper: “Do you think dialogue should take precedence over taking a firm stance?”, he replied: “We can be firm in our dialogue… and I confirm that we are conducting serious discussions with the Algerian authorities.”

The French official claimed that the Algerian authorities have not yet responded to their French counterparts regarding the issue of individuals Paris wishes to deport. He explained: “Not yet… We are continuing discussions on technical and procedural matters, with the ambition that deportation flows will be restored at a good pace and be sustainable over time.” He added: “It’s not about carrying out a circumstantial operation for a few cases, but about returning to a normal situation.”

As is clear, the French official is talking about the deportation of Algerians against whom decisions to leave French territory have been issued, and insists on the Algerian side’s cooperation with them, while insisting on ignoring Algerian demands that emphasize respect for deportation procedures, which are carried out within strict consular arrangements. This is what the former Minister of Interior, Bruno Retailleau, tried to bypass in some cases, which required an Algerian response by refusing cooperation.

On the other hand, the French Minister of Interior revealed a surprise by disclosing that the French side has unilaterally begun reviewing the 1968 agreement related to immigration, in an unprecedented development that reveals the level of crisis reached in bilateral relations, which has been characterized by the absence of diplomatic representation at the ambassadorial level since the departure of the French Ambassador, Stéphane Romatet, from his country’s embassy in Algiers under duress last April, following Algeria’s expulsion of 12 French consular officials as part of the principle of reciprocity.

Laurent Nuñez said in this regard: “We are working in parallel on reviewing the 1968 agreements, according to the instructions of the President of the (French) Republic and the (French) Prime Minister. The idea is to reach common positions on all these issues,” noting that French President Emmanuel Macron had on more than one occasion rejected demands from both Bruno Retailleau when he was Minister of Interior, as well as former Prime Minister, François Bayrou.

The French official displayed an uncharacteristic tone in dealing with the crisis in bilateral relations, using phrases that will undoubtedly further complicate the already critical situation, when he said: “The Algerian side must accept the conditions we put forward, as this is a matter of security for us. And firmness is not inconsistent with mutual respect,” and indicated that this file “will be decided in the coming weeks,” according to him.

The recent statements by the French minister revealed a clear change in his tone towards Algeria, compared to the statements that followed his appointment to the Ministry of Interior portfolio, through which he distanced himself from the policy of his predecessor, Bruno Retailleau, towards Algeria. These statements coincided with his announcement of a visit to Algeria, but weeks passed without that visit materializing.

Laurent Nuñez did not refer to that visit, which raises more than one question about its fate, as the Secretary-General of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Anne-Marie Descôtes, visited Algeria at the end of last November, but no information was leaked about the results of that visit. Meanwhile, observers suggested that the French official failed to achieve the objectives for which she came, including preparing the atmosphere for Laurent Nuñez’s visit to Algeria.