Violent Attack On Ségolène Royal After Announcing Her Candidacy

The Socialist candidate for the French presidential election, Ms. Ségolène Royal, confirmed her intention to continue mediation between Algeria and France in order to bridge the gap plaguing bilateral relations, in response to the fiery attack she faced from some far-right circles after announcing her candidacy for the upcoming French presidential election.

Immediately after the “tweet” through which the president of the “France-Algeria” association, Ms. Ségolène Royal, announced her participation in the French presidential elections, media outlets owned by the far-right businessman, Vincent Bolloré, such as the “CNews” channel and “Le Journal du Dimanche”, launched a concentrated campaign against the Socialist candidate, describing her as the “voice of Algeria” in the upcoming French presidential election.

*Ms. Royal: “I will continue mediation efforts with Algeria”

Ms. Ségolène Royal responded to this attack with another tweet, asking: “Should we check the facts on CNews before unleashing our opinions? I have only held the presidency of this association, which was established at the initiative of General de Gaulle and Germaine Tillion and is presided over honorarily by Jean-Pierre Chevènement, for six months at his request. I was invited to Algeria by the chambers of commerce and industry, and I met with Christophe Geiliz, defending him during every visit.”

She added: “I listened to the concerns of French companies and farmers who see that all other countries are concluding agreements with Algeria except for us. There is something wrong due to a resentment driven by neo-colonial motives among some voices, which you echo, and which fortunately is diminishing among the younger generations on both sides of the Mediterranean, who wish to move forward with mutual respect.”

The French candidate for the upcoming presidential election noted France’s need for Algeria in many matters, such as cooperation in the fight against terrorism and providing energy supplies at a “much cheaper” price, which helps French companies, especially those active in the field of transport, points she said make it imperative for France to “reach an understanding” with Algeria, and “I will continue these mediation efforts despite the mockery of your words, as long as it serves the interest of France.”

Ms. Ségolène Royal observed that the crisis between the two countries has made “disagreement and conflict replace constructive economic and political cooperation, which makes it imperative for us to rebuild a diplomacy based on respect and calm, a diplomacy based on mediation and assistance in resolving conflicts, and supporting just and lasting peace solutions, in line with our traditions and the vision of Charles de Gaulle, François Mitterrand, and Jacques Chirac, who always followed this path.”

The newspaper “Le Journal du Dimanche” had attacked Ms. Ségolène Royal after her candidacy announcement in an article on its website, Saturday, July 11, titled: “Ségolène Royal, Candidate: The Voice of Algeria in the (French) Presidential Election,” which carried disparagement of her, describing her as an “eternal” candidate for the presidential election, after she had previously lost in earlier rounds, most notably the 2007 election against former President Nicolas Sarkozy in the second round.

Among what was stated in this article is that Ségolène Royal, according to the same source, “is particularly worrying in the diplomatic field.

The former Minister of the Environment is now among the strongest supporters of Algeria.” It also attacked her because she “visited Algeria several times, and each time she was received with great warmth,” says “Le Journal du Dimanche”, which said that Ms. Royal, despite the frequency of these visits, was unable to secure the release of French journalist Christophe Geilez, who was sentenced in Algeria to seven years in prison on charges of supporting and praising terrorism, in a position involving much prejudice, because Ms. Ségolène Royal is not the one who bears responsibility for the journalist’s imprisonment, but rather the French state with its various institutions and symbols.

In addition to “Le Journal du Dimanche”, Ms. Ségolène Royal was also the subject of a fierce attack in an editorial on the “CNews” channel, carrying the same accusations, in a scene that confirms the state of frenzy within the far-right, which fears the Socialist candidate obtaining the votes of the Algerian community in France, which are capable of turning the tables on Marine Le Pen, the favorite candidate of “CNews” and “Le Journal du Dimanche”.