François Bayrou intends to follow the requirements of Emmanuel Macron, but not with losses and crash. The Prime Minister said this Thursday, August 7, that France was not “Not in a logic of perpetual confrontation” with Algeria, expressing the wish to “One day find balanced and fair relationships”, reports AFP. A declaration which comes in the day after the hardening of Emmanuel Macron’s position with regard to Algiers.
In a missive sent to the Prime Minister on Wednesday, that Le Figaro was able to consult, the President of the Republic asked the government to “Make additional decisions” in order to“Act with more firmness and determination” Against the Abdelmadjid Tebboune regime. And called the Prime Minister to “Instruct the Minister of the Interior”Bruno Retailleau, of “Find the ways and means of useful cooperation with its Algerian counterparts as quickly as possible”in particular to return “Algerians in an irregular situation”.
The Head of State also asked the Quai d’Orsay to notify Algiers the “ official suspension of the 2013 agreement » Regarding visa exemptions on official and diplomatic passports. The two countries are accused of having paused the agreement since the dismissal of diplomats last May. The head of state also asks the government to use ” immediately “ of a provision of the immigration law of 2024: the visa-readmission lever (LVR). He “Allows you to refuse short stay visas for service and diplomatic passport holders, as are long -stay visas for all types of applicants”.
The executive must act “with more firmness and determination”
In his letter sent to the head of government, the tenant of the Élysée passed a clear message: the executive must now act “With more firmness and determination” and must take “Additional decisions”. He notably invokes the “Reserved spell” To the Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal and journalist Christophe Gleizes, imprisoned in Algeria. The president also refers to “Failure by Algeria of its obligations” in terms of immigration, as well as “The cessation of cooperation of the 18 Algerian consulates present on our soil with the state services”.
With FigaroEmmanuel Macron detailed the reasons for his change of tone. “The Algerian authorities have made the deliberate choice not to answer our repeated calls in recent months to work together”deplores the leader. “Now we have no choice but to adopt an approach of greater firmness”he asserts. The message did not fail to arouse reactions. The day after this change of gear, the Abdelmadjid Tebboune regime accused Paris of exsing “Of his responsibilities” in this diplomatic crisis.
