Macron 'only point of reference' for mending ties: Tebboune
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Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune emphasizes that any efforts to repair strained ties with France relations must go through French President Emmanuel Macron.
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Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune attends the opening of a seawater desalination plant, in Tipasa, Algeria, on February 22, 2025. (AP)
Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said that his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron is the "only point of reference" to mend fractured ties with the former colonial ruler.
Ties between Algeria and France have been strained since Macron recognized Moroccan sovereignty of the disputed territory of Western Sahara in July last year.
Commenting on the matter, Tebboune said in an interview on Algerian television on Saturday night "We will keep President Macron as our sole point of reference." He added, "He remains the French president, and all problems must be resolved with him or with the person he delegates."
Tebboune pledged his confidence in his Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, whose ministry described Algiers as a victim of a "vengeful and hateful French far right."
Notably, tensions escalated after Algiers declined to accept the repatriation of undocumented Algerian migrants from France. One of them, a 37-year-old man, carried out a stabbing attack in the eastern city of Mulhouse in February, killing one person and injuring several others.
On that note, the Hardline French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau warned that if Algeria refuses to admit its expelled nationals, it would face consequences. Moreover, he has been at the forefront of verbal attacks on Algeria in the media, further inflaming tensions between the two countries.
Algerian parliament moves to criminalize French colonialism
Relations further deteriorated after the arrest of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal in November.
Macron expressed concerns over the author's health while he was detained in Algeria on national security charges.
He described Sansal’s detention as "arbitrary" and emphasized that resolving the case would help rebuild trust in diplomatic relations.
On Friday, Algeria’s National People’s Assembly launched an unprecedented parliamentary initiative aimed at enacting a law that criminalizes French colonialism, parliamentary sources told Sabq Press.
According to the Algerian news outlet, a joint committee was formed, comprising representatives from all parliamentary blocs alongside legal experts, to refine the bill’s content. The committee is set to be officially established this Sunday, after which it will begin drafting the initial version of the law. The draft will then be submitted to the assembly’s legal committee for discussion and further development.
The renewed push for the legislation comes amid new circumstances, notably the rise of right-wing rhetoric in France against Algeria and statements by some officials downplaying the atrocities of French colonialism. Moreover, France refuses to acknowledge or apologize for 132 years of brutal colonial rule in Algeria, which only ended in an eight-year war for independence.
If passed, the law is expected to provoke strong diplomatic reactions, as it would directly impact Algerian-French relations. Its adoption could also spark broader discussions on historical memory, accountability, and reparations—issues that have long been a source of contention between the two countries.
