Macron advocates France’s firmness in the face of inflexible Algeria – L’Express

Paris and Algiers have been entangled for more than a year in an unprecedented diplomatic crisis which has resulted in expulsions of civil servants on both sides, the recall of the ambassadors of the two countries and restrictions on the carriers of diplomatic visas.

Another consequence: the cessation of the cooperation of the Algerian consulates present in France with the services of the French State in matters of readmission of Algerians deemed dangerous, however under an obligation to leave the territory.

The fear of the French government is to have to release Algerian nationals currently detained in detention centers for lack of being able to keep them in these centers indefinitely.

France must be strong and be respectednow argues the French head of state in a letter to his Prime Minister, François Bayrou, published by the daily Le Figaro.

She can only obtain it from her partners if herself shows them the respect she demands from them. This basic rule applies to Algeria toohe still writes.

Among the measures requested from the government, the head of state calls for suspending formally The 2013 agreement with Algiers Regarding visa exemptions on official and diplomatic passports.

A decision which acts a situation of fact: the Minister of French Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, announced on May 14 The dismissal in Algeria of all holding agents of diplomatic passports who would not currently have a visa. France then reacted to a decision unjustified and unjustifiable Algiers to expel French officials, he said.

Emmanuel Macron also asks the government to use immediately of a provision of the 2024 immigration law, the VISA-READMENT LEVER (LVR)Who Allows you to refuse short stay visas for service passport holders and diplomatic, as are long -stay visas for all types of applicants.

To prevent Algerian diplomats from being able to come to France via a third country, France will ask its partners Schengen to cooperate.

The President also asked his Prime Minister to instruct the Minister of the InteriorBruno Retailleau, holding a hard line towards Algiers, to find the ways and means of useful cooperation with its Algerian counterpart as quickly as possible. Il Also hopes that, faced with the delinquency of Algerian individuals in an irregular situation, the Minister of the Interior and his services act without rest and without respite.

Communication channels

In addition to the migratory question, Emmanuel Macron motivates the tour of the screw by the situation of the Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, sentenced to 5 years in prison in particular for damage to national unityand the French journalist Christophe Gleizes, sentenced to seven years in prison in Algeria for Apology of terrorism.

Paris arbitrary judges their convictions and requests their release.

For Boualem Sansal, octogenarian and sick, at the Elysée, we still hoped in July that the essayist could benefit from a humanitarian gesture, which would have made it possible to appease diplomatic tensions. In vain.

As of July 23, the French Interior Minister had indicated that France was by to restrict the conditions of travel in France of a certain number of Algerian dignitaries After Algiers’ refusal to resume 120 nationals under the obligation to leave French territory (OQTF).

Targeting President Emmanuel Macron, he also considered that The diplomacy of good feelings has stranded And claimed a change in tone towards Algiers.

Despite the requested firmness, the President of the Republic promises that his objective remains to find effective and ambitious relationships with Algeria.

In Paris, it is estimated that the communication channels are not completely broken but we expect a gesture from Algiers.