PARIS: Even before having set foot on Algerian soil as part of an official visit from August 25 to 27, French President Emmanuel Macron is already causing controversy.
Object of wrath, the presence in the delegation that accompanies him, and which is composed of nearly ninety personalities, of the Chief Rabbi of France, Haïm Korsia.
According to the weekly Pointthe presence of the rabbi irritates certain circles of Algerian public opinion, certain politicians and arouses a salvo of criticism on social networks.
Mr. Korsia, of Algerian origin, will participate, along with the Archbishop of Algiers, Jean-Paul Vasco, in the visit planned in Mr. Macron’s program to the Saint-Eugene cemetery to pay tribute to the dead for France.
This participation constitutes an ambiguity in relation to the position of Algeria, which opposes the path of normalization with Israel, taken by many Arab countries.
This prelude says a lot about the context of this three-day visit which could be one of all dangers.
Soothe memories, and lay a foundation for the future
The atmosphere, however, contrasts with the serenity displayed on the French side, during the presentation of the visit by the Élysée Palace. The delegation and the program of the visit “show the wish of the President of the Republic to continue to work with his Algerian counterpart, Abdelmajid Tebboune, on regional issues” and “the continuation of the work of appeasement of memories”, affirms a source elysian.
Emmanuel Macron chose to orient his visit (which begins Thursday in Algiers and ends Saturday in Oran) “towards the future and the search for ways to lay a foundation” in order to “develop and rebuild relations between the two countries looking to the future for the benefit of the people and the youth”.
It is obvious, assures the Élysée, that all the subjects of common interest will be discussed during this visit which begins with a ceremony of homage to the martyrs, as is the custom, followed by a tete-a-tete between MM. Tebboune and Macron at the presidential palace of El-Mouradia, as well as a joint statement to the press.
They will have a second interview over lunch on Friday, which will later be extended to ministers accompanying Emmanuel Macron, including the Minister of Economy and Finance, Bruno Le Maire; the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin; Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna; the Minister for the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu; and Culture Minister Rima Abdul Malak; as well as their Algerian counterparts.
From the French point of view, it is a visit “turned towards the future and the problems of the present while continuing the work of appeasing memories”.
The Élysée shows great serenity even with regard to the most thorny subjects.
For example, the question of visas, reduced by France by 50% following Algeria’s refusal to repatriate Algerian nationals present illegally on French soil.
In this regard, the Elysée affirms that “human exchanges between the two countries are very strong”, that the dialogue continues with the Algerian authorities and that “the blockages must be lifted so that the situation returns to as before”. .
Thorny issues
On the file of the French nuclear tests carried out in the Algerian Sahara, “we have the hope of being able next year to initiate rehabilitation work” of the sites concerned, indicates the Elysée, by affirming that a process of compensation for the victims is being developed.
It will also be about the Sahel, an area where Algeria is powerful; Mali, which France left, leaving Russia with which Algeria maintains close relations to settle there; as well as the Mediterranean, where the Russian presence has also increased.
Regarding Western Sahara, France will not fail, according to the Elysée, to recall its attachment to a negotiated solution between Algeria and Morocco.
In Oran, the focus will be on culture. A lunch is planned with the writer Kamel Daoud and Oran personalities, as well as a visit to the city center where Emmanuel Macron will visit a vinyl record store specializing in raï before attending a breakdance session. His return to France is planned shortly after.
No fear or apprehension in prospect, this visit is an opportunity to consolidate the work accomplished during the previous five-year period and to continue the construction efforts. This desire is in line with the position adopted by Mr. Macron with regard to Algeria since his first presidential term in 2017.
Starting from the premise that the Évian Accords, signed sixty years ago, put an end to the war and led to the withdrawal of the French colonial force, the time has come to clean up and lessen the passion between the two countries.
During his first mandate, the French president multiplied initiatives in the hope of liquidating the painful liabilities between the two countries. His second term is an opportunity to succeed in his bet.
However, there is no reason to suppose that the Algerians are in the same mood, quite the contrary, as their present is fixed and conditioned by their past.
For a French president, a trip to Algeria is always one of the most delicate exercises, often conditioned by the stigmata of a still vivid past. It is therefore not certain that Emmanuel Macron, despite his willed and displayed voluntarism, can escape this observation.