MACRON. In Algeria from August 25 to 27, Emmanuel Macron is working to “refound” Franco-Algerian relations on the duty to remember the Algerian war and economic and political cooperation. The Head of State also ruled out the issue of Algerian gas.
[Mis à jour le 25 août 2022 à 13h22] A “friendly and trusting” relationship. These are the terms chosen by Emmanuel Macron to describe his exchanges with his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune. The President of the Republic is in Algeria until August 27, a trip which should make it possible to calm and consolidate Franco-Algerian relations for the future. The fact remains that the beginning of the stay of the Head of State in Algiers mainly revolved around memorial questions on colonization and the Algerian war, a subject at the origin of strong tensions between the two countries. On August 25, Emmanuel Macron also announced during a joint speech with the Algerian president the creation of a commission of French and Algerian historians to work on memoirs “without taboos […] with full access to our archives”. This is the first stage of the mission of appeasement between France and Algeria, but the duty of memory is far from being the only subject on the program of this trip.
Emmanuel Macron says he wants to “refound” Franco-Algerian relations thanks to better cooperation which must in particular take place on the economic level with, among other things, a joint project of a “start-up incubator” but also political with the subjects of the immigration and visa. The Head of State’s stay in Algeria could also have something to do with gas, an energy coveted since the start of the war in Ukraine. The Elysée, however, maintains that the subject is not on the program. Asked about this point on August 26, Emmanuel Macron also dismissed the question out of hand.
Emmanuel Macron announces Franco-Algerian collaborative work
Emmanuel Macron’s trip to Algeria, which should take him to Algiers and Oran, has a clear objective: to “rebuild” relations between the two countries. A work that must go through the memories of the Algerian war, a sensitive subject at the origin of tensions between the two nations. But the French politician assured on August 26 that the political quarrels are behind: It’s a love story that has its share of tragedy. To be reconciled, you have to get angry”. And reconciliation goes through the establishment of a working committee made up of Algerian and French historians responsible for working on these memoirs who will be able to access “all the archives, from 1830 to 1962. The commission will have the possibility of working on everything”, welcomed Emmanuel Macron.
Even before the arrival of Emmanuel Macron in Algeria, the Elysée explained on August 20 that the visit of the Head of State to Algeria in the year of the 60th anniversary of the country’s independence “will contribute to deepening the bilateral relationship to the future […] to strengthen Franco-Algerian cooperation in the face of regional issues and to continue the work of healing memories”.
Emmanuel Macron in Algeria to negotiate on gas?
Unofficially, another reason could be hiding behind Emmanuel Macron’s trip: gas. Algeria, the world’s ninth largest gas producer, has benefited since the start of the war in Ukraine from a new attraction to European countries which no longer want to depend on Russian gas and France could defend its cause. To listen to the President of the Republic, Algerian gas is not the priority and “cannot change the situation” for France which “does not depend so much on gas”. Negotiations with Algeria to supply France with gas do not therefore seem to be on the agenda or they are held in secret out of sight. Before Emmanuel Macron, the Elysée had already affirmed that gas is “really not the object of the visit” in Algeria.
Immigration, visas… What are the other reasons for Macron’s visit to Algeria?
On the occasion of his visit to Algeria, Emmanuel Macron must discuss other subjects depending on the Franco-Algerian relationship. The issue of visas could be raised after France halved the number of visas granted to nationals of Algeria, a decision taken in response to the country’s refusal to welcome its nationals expelled because in an irregular situation. On this point, the Head of State spoke of joint work “to deal with the most sensitive security issues” and his Algerian counterpart welcomed the “encouraging results” heralding “promising prospects”. France info.
Immigration was also discussed by the two heads of state and according to Emmanuel Macron, the two men share “the same desire to have a policy fighting against illegal immigration”. And the politician added: “We have decided to work together and in trust. We will be very rigorous in fighting against the networks, we will be more effective in the escorts”. At the same time, the leaders say they want to be “more flexible on the immigration chosen. In this context, we want to improve the deadlines”.