Royal’s visit to Algeria.. Is it the beginning of the falling leaves of the crisis between Algeria and France? – New Algeria

It can be said that the visit made by the French socialist politician Ségolene Royal to Algeria in recent days has fulfilled what was hoped for, in line with her role as a potential mediator in the diplomatic crisis that has afflicted Algerian-French relations since July 2024. However, despite her reception by the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, as well as the balanced speech she adopted in her media statements, bilateral relations between the two countries remain in need of strong, agreed-upon foundations to achieve historical rights. To Algerians regarding the crimes of French colonialism, as well as launching a mutually beneficial economic partnership based on the win-win rule.

It is clear that the vocabulary used by Ségolene Royal, President of the France-Algeria Association and former candidate for the French presidential elections in 2007, during her visit to Algeria carried with it many political references of a political and humanitarian nature, which would contribute to bringing the viewpoints closer between Algeria and France, even if it is too early to say that the stormy diplomatic crisis between the two countries has now begun to dissolve.

The speech that Royal used during the visit included an implicit commitment to work to restore relations between the two countries to their normal pace, and she confirmed that “Rebuilding the friendship between France and Algeria is a duty towards the younger generations on both sides of the Mediterranean,” calling for “an end to the narrow political positions, provocations and speeches that tear apart relations, issued by parties that do not want Algeria to advance, and still refuse to recognize its national sovereignty.”“.

Regarding the memory file, which constitutes a very sensitive issue for Algeria, Royal considered that “it is neither a legacy of guilt nor an inherited burden, but rather the reality of wounds and traumas that must be named, treated, and apologized for, without any compensation.”“.

It also considered that France should return cultural property and archives to Algeria, and hand over “the complete file of the nuclear tests in the Sahara in order to assess the extent of the damage and repair it.”“.

These statements reflect what resembles a political plan that can be built upon as a first stage in resolving the crisis between Algeria and France, a plan that Royal also worked to nourish with strong political seasoning when she confirmed that she refused to participate in the alleged investigation that was recently published by one of the French public television channels, which Algeria considered offensive to the country and that it served the agenda of the French extreme right that is hostile in its proposals to Algeria. Royal expressed her rejection of the content of the alleged investigation by also saying that she It hopes that the French authorities will respect “national sovereignty.”“ For Algeria.

It may also be understood that Ségolin Royal’s assertion that she would convey “this position to President Emmanuel Macron upon my return (to France) to urge him to move in this direction, as he had pledged to do at the beginning of his presidential term.”“. It is a clear political signal that the mediation role that observers expected this French politician to play regarding the bilateral crisis between the two countries is a role that may be taking shape and perhaps under launch, but things are still not yet clearly clear, especially since Paris has remained silent so far, while Algerian-French relations still need to mature in order to resolve extremely sensitive issues that require time and sincere political will on the part of the Elysee Palace, which is still hostage to French political forces hostile to Algeria, including The French extreme right, led by Marine Le Pen, as well as the neoconservative movement, led by former French Interior Minister Bruno Rutayo.

Algerian-French relations were characterized by fluctuating periods between calm, apathy, and tension over decades, especially since they remained burdened by the issue of memory and the issue of people’s movement, in addition to the balance of trade relations between the two countries, as Algeria wants more investments in the country and enabling Algerian goods to have greater access to the French market and from there to the rest of the European Union countries, at a time when Paris wants to focus on trade relations that entail a quick profit through unlimited opening of the Algerian market to French goods..

For reference, Ségolin Royal enjoys great respect in Algerian and French political circles as well This French politician had previously expressed her willingness, in statements she made last March, to contribute to any possible mediation to calm relations between the two countries, which have reached an unprecedented level of tension, especially after unjustified hostile political and media campaigns launched by the French extreme right and the neo-conservative movement against Algeria during recent periods..

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