Paris is eagerly awaiting the outcomes of the visit of its Interior Minister, Laurent Nunez, who landed yesterday in Algeria for a two-day visit. France is awaiting a glimmer of hope in saving its remaining investments on Algerian soil, which today have not exceeded $2.3 billion, representing 423 companies, the largest of which is the Total oil company, Sanofi Pharmaceuticals, and Lafarge Cement, in addition to other banks, namely Bank B. NB Paribas, Société Générale, and the Bank of France, but in Algeria, political analysts and experts in international relations view the visit of the French official as a French desire to relaunch a strong relationship with Algeria and even develop it more broadly.
This visit comes after the last visit made by former French Minister Gerald Darmanin at the end of 2022. Before leaving for Algeria, Nunez confirmed in a statement to France Inter radio yesterday morning that he was heading “in a constructive spirit” to discuss sensitive security files and relaunch the dialogue.
Over the course of two full days of talks, the French official aspires to reconnect bilateral cooperation in the fields of immigration, combating organized crime, and drug trafficking, despite the continuing political tension between the two countries. According to what was reported by French media sources, Nunes will come to Algeria at the head of a high-level security delegation that includes senior officials from the agencies, in an indication of the practical nature of the visit and Paris’s desire to achieve tangible progress on the ground.
The French Minister explained, “I will meet with the Algerian Minister of the Interior, who invited me, and therefore we will review all the current areas of discussion, especially the issues of immigration, security, and drug trafficking,” without confirming a meeting with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. He added: “I am approaching in a very constructive spirit, and I am determined to achieve progress and reactivate the security relationship with Algeria, and even beyond that, of course.”
Regarding the file of French sports journalist Christophe Glez, who was sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of praising terrorism, the Minister of the Interior responded that “there is a judicial procedure underway in Algeria,” stressing that he is heading to Algeria to discuss “security issues.”
The current visit was preceded by intense diplomatic activity led by former Socialist Minister Ségolène Royal, who visited Algeria in her capacity as President of the France-Algeria Association, in an attempt to create the political climate and pave the way for the resumption of dialogue between the two countries. At the same time as the visit, the French Employers Organization is expected to hold an important meeting of the France-Algeria Business Council, today, Tuesday, with the participation of the French Ambassador to Algeria, Stéphane Romatet, to discuss arranging a visit to Algeria and organizing the return of French companies to work in the market. Algerian, especially since this market is still promising for French companies that were greatly affected by the political crisis between Algeria and Paris.
Despite this intense diplomatic movement, whether related to the visit of Ségolène Royal, the efforts of “MEDAF”, or the upcoming visit of the French Minister of the Interior, we cannot be certain of the success of the visit and its ability to overcome the deep political crisis between the two countries. The statement made by the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, in his response to the requirements of the French Minister of the Interior, and the firmness shown by Algeria in dealing with many files, such as the file of deported migrants and the extradition of wanted persons by the Algerian justice, not to mention Regarding the memory issue between the two countries, as it is a thorny and fundamental issue that cannot be negotiated, there is very little optimism and hope for the success of Laurent Nuñez’s visit, and it may be the same scenario that met with the visit of Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot to Algeria in April 2025 and the Secretary General of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Anne-Marie Discot, last November. On the contrary, the crisis intensified more and more after the two visits.
Last Sunday, the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, responded in an interview with Algerian television that his country was not concerned with the preconditions that the French Minister of the Interior spoke about, and he said: “This matter concerns him, and it does not concern us. If he wants to come to Algeria, he is welcome,” stressing Algeria’s adherence to its position regarding “refusing to expel Algerian nationals in the way France wants, without enabling them to have their full rights to litigate in France and appeal their deportation decisions.” Whenever France sends them, we will return them, and let it be clear that whoever wants to insult Algeria has not been born by his mother yet.”
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