UGTA and FCE: “We Refuse the French Violence Against Our Institutions”

General Union of Algerian Workers “UGTA” and the Forum of Heads of Institutions “FCE” express indignation over President Bouteflika’s picture which was published by the French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, on his Twitter page, after their meeting in Algiers.

Both bodies criticised, in a joint statement on Thursday, “The false manipulation that was directed intentionally against the Presidency” by the French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who published a picture of President Bouteflika, on his own Twitter after the end of his visit.

it said; “Algeria faced a fierce attack, before the meeting of the Algerian-French High Joint Committee meeting, by the French media, including newspapers and television channels, a campaign that continued after the end of the visit with the image that was published by the French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls.”

UGTA and FCE denounced the “French violence against the institutions of the Republic”, asserting that they “Can not remain silent in front of this attack and violence against the national sovereignty. Workers and heads of public and private institutions refuse to interfere in the internal affairs of the country, and refuse to launch such campaigns, which carry a colonial nature.”

Previously, the picture that was published by the French Prime Minister on his Twitter, raised large political and media controversy in Algeria, and pro-government parties read it as a blow and an assault on the national sovereignty, especially as the picture showed President Bouteflika tired, and felt that the French side intentionally published this picture, which strained the Algerian-French relationships, that were already tense when the French media attacked the President Bouteflika and involved him in the Panama papers’ file, days before the French PM’s visit to Algeria, and the situation worsened after Manuel Valls published a picture of Bouteflika.

It seems that the French side is upset of not winning economic deals, during its recent visit, given that the most important projects were postponed, and it comes to “Peugeot” factory.