The Diplomacy Of Discord Has Put France Out Of The Game With Algeria.

Former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said that Algerian-French relations cannot return to normal unless the obstacles of the past, which have left unhealed wounds, are addressed. He considered the current calm in bilateral relations to be merely a “limited de-escalation” of tension, which had reached an unprecedented level since 1962.

Dominique de Villepin was asked by the news channel “LCI” if the choice of the new Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, in dealing with Algeria, which came after his predecessor at the “Beauvau” palace, Bruno Retailleau, whose approach was based on an iron fist, was good. His response was like someone lamenting the state to which French diplomatic machinery had arrived.

The right-hand man of former French President Jacques Chirac explained: “Let’s start from the situation we know about France, which, due to the choices it made on the diplomatic front, gradually found itself out of the game in relations with Algeria. It is not enough to be out of the game; we must ensure that there are no obstacles in the way.”

He added: “We must work to ensure that there are no obstacles to any settlement, as happened with Boualem Sansal. Among these obstacles, there are those who believe that by starting from a diplomacy of discord, we can solve the problem. Anyone who believes this is wrong,” referring to those who lament the loss of the option raised by the former Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, which was based on what was called “gradual response.”

The former head of French diplomacy stressed: “When we exclude this option (meaning the iron fist option) from diplomacy in dealing with Algeria, and offer what is best in dialogue with Algeria or what is called ‘the third of trust,’ we can talk about progress… I am happy with the slight reduction in tension with Algeria so far.”

For weeks, the political scene in France has been experiencing a sharp division between supporters of the iron fist option imposed by Bruno Retailleau on François Bayrou’s government, and those who reject this option, because it has achieved nothing for France except exacerbating the bilateral relations and France losing many cards in its conflict with Algeria. This team ultimately succeeded in proving the failure of the former Interior Minister’s option.

In a related context, the veteran French politician spoke about the duty of memory that France must adopt to correct its relationship with Algeria, saying: “There is a history that must be acknowledged, there are 132 years with their crimes, there was French domination, contempt for the Algerian people… Only then can we talk about the future, especially since Algeria faces a set of challenges, such as the situation in the Sahel region and the issue of Western Sahara.”

The issue of the colonial past is one of the most complex files that has contributed to poisoning bilateral relations. French President Emmanuel Macron has tried to solve this dilemma since 2017, but it became clear that he is unable to confront the right-wing and far-right lobbies, which still yearn for the period of “French Algeria.”

Dominique de Villepin pointed to the role that Germany could play in the tension regarding the partnership agreement between Algeria and the European Union, saying: “Germany, from its position in the European camp, can play an important role in the trade agreement between Algeria and Brussels, because German protection is very important for Algeria.”