New era in Algeria-France relations signals 'tension'
President of Algeria, Tabbun, made it necessary for Paris to confront its colonial past in order to advance its relations with France.
At the end of last year in Algeria, President Abdulmecid Tebbun took office with the elections that took place after the popular uprisings, the "verbal" intervention of the army and the purges of the regime. President Abdulmecid Tebbun signals that, contrary to the 20-year foreign policy record of his predecessor Abdulaziz Bouteflika, he will follow a more demanding policy towards France, which has a colonial past in the country's history, and that the relations between the two countries will deteriorate.
Algeria, which constitutes the most up-to-date and bloodiest example of the colonial history of France in the African continent, had a fluctuating course with Paris after its independence. President Abdulaziz Bouteflika administration, who took office after Algeria's bloody civil war in the 1990s, has drawn a picture that gets closer to Paris during his 20-year term.
However, Abdulmecid Tebbun administration, who took office in December 2019 with the elections that took place after the radical changes in Algeria, said, "In order to get closer to France, the official recognition of the crimes of the colonial period of Paris, the opening of the files in this period, the apology from Algeria and the compensation of the victims of the colonial period. putting the condition in return for "payment.
Tabbun administration wants to change relations with France
The colonial period of France in Algeria ended in the 1960s. However, there are still debates in the country's public opinion that the economic colonization of Paris towards Algeria is not over.
President Abdulmecid Tebbun, who took office in Algeria last December, signaled a change of attitude towards Paris in the new period.
Tabbun stressed more than once that "normalizing relations with France and advancing economic relations depends only on the confrontation of Paris with the colonial period".
Apart from the "colonial tension", relations between the two countries were once again strained due to the "special interest" of the French press regarding the political situation in Algeria.
Change in the new era
Algerian journalist Faysal Mitavi told Anadolu Agency (AA) that after Tabbun's appointment, France's confrontation with colonial history in Algeria moved to the top of the agenda.
Mitavi stated that President Tebbun stipulated that "colonial period files should be opened and dealt with" in order to improve relations with France, and pointed out that this situation "may have an economic cost for Algeria, which has a high trade volume with France".
According to OECD figures, France still stands out as the third country in which Algeria has the largest bilateral trade volume with 4.56 billion dollars of exchange.
The most reactive situation among the Algerian public is the continuation of the cultural and economic colonization of France despite the end of the physical and political colonization of France in the continental lands.
The Algerian journalist stated that the Tabbun administration was trying to regain Algeria's interests, unlike the Bouteflika period, which opened its doors to French companies to the fullest.
Noting that Algeria wants to have influence on the North African coast in the next period, Mitavi said for the first time in its post-independence history that "an effective right-wing lobby and right-wing politics in France oppose confrontation with the colonial history" by Algerian official authorities.
Considering the rise of the far right in France and the more demanding attitude of Algeria on this issue, Mitavi underlined that the relations between the two countries may decline and follow a fluctuating course in the coming period.
Algerian journalist Muhammed Muslim also stated that the relations between Algeria and France have entered a pragmatic line and stated that "cooperation on the agreed issues and files with disagreements are not shelved".
Muslim, who predicts that the relations between the two countries will deteriorate in the near future and that France will lose its privileges in Algeria will be affected the most, Muslim said, "The new administration in Algeria wants to cut the fingernails of France into the country."
The total investment of France in Algeria exceeds 2.5 billion dollars according to the data of the end of 2017. According to the figures shared by the Algeria Investment and Development Agency, more than 400 French companies operate in more than 500 projects, including energy, industry and public services, on the Algerian soil.
France's black mark in Africa, its past in Algeria
Algeria began its struggle for independence on November 1, 1954, against the French invasion of the 1830s. Resisting France's bloody intimidation efforts, Algeria came to the fore as the country that paid the heaviest price for its independence in the Arab and Islamic geography as a result of the tough struggle that lasted 8 years and 1.5 million people lost their lives.
While the Paris administration defends that it conducted 17 nuclear bomb tests on Algerian soil between 1960 and 1966, Algerian authorities claim that 57 nuclear tests were conducted.
France still does not officially recognize its crimes over the century and a half in Algeria, which is the most recent and bloodiest example of its colonial history in Africa.
www.aa.com.tr
President of Algeria, Tabbun, made it necessary for Paris to confront its colonial past in order to advance its relations with France.
At the end of last year in Algeria, President Abdulmecid Tebbun took office with the elections that took place after the popular uprisings, the "verbal" intervention of the army and the purges of the regime. President Abdulmecid Tebbun signals that, contrary to the 20-year foreign policy record of his predecessor Abdulaziz Bouteflika, he will follow a more demanding policy towards France, which has a colonial past in the country's history, and that the relations between the two countries will deteriorate.
Algeria, which constitutes the most up-to-date and bloodiest example of the colonial history of France in the African continent, had a fluctuating course with Paris after its independence. President Abdulaziz Bouteflika administration, who took office after Algeria's bloody civil war in the 1990s, has drawn a picture that gets closer to Paris during his 20-year term.
However, Abdulmecid Tebbun administration, who took office in December 2019 with the elections that took place after the radical changes in Algeria, said, "In order to get closer to France, the official recognition of the crimes of the colonial period of Paris, the opening of the files in this period, the apology from Algeria and the compensation of the victims of the colonial period. putting the condition in return for "payment.
Tabbun administration wants to change relations with France
The colonial period of France in Algeria ended in the 1960s. However, there are still debates in the country's public opinion that the economic colonization of Paris towards Algeria is not over.
President Abdulmecid Tebbun, who took office in Algeria last December, signaled a change of attitude towards Paris in the new period.
Tabbun stressed more than once that "normalizing relations with France and advancing economic relations depends only on the confrontation of Paris with the colonial period".
Apart from the "colonial tension", relations between the two countries were once again strained due to the "special interest" of the French press regarding the political situation in Algeria.
Change in the new era
Algerian journalist Faysal Mitavi told Anadolu Agency (AA) that after Tabbun's appointment, France's confrontation with colonial history in Algeria moved to the top of the agenda.
Mitavi stated that President Tebbun stipulated that "colonial period files should be opened and dealt with" in order to improve relations with France, and pointed out that this situation "may have an economic cost for Algeria, which has a high trade volume with France".
According to OECD figures, France still stands out as the third country in which Algeria has the largest bilateral trade volume with 4.56 billion dollars of exchange.
The most reactive situation among the Algerian public is the continuation of the cultural and economic colonization of France despite the end of the physical and political colonization of France in the continental lands.
The Algerian journalist stated that the Tabbun administration was trying to regain Algeria's interests, unlike the Bouteflika period, which opened its doors to French companies to the fullest.
Noting that Algeria wants to have influence on the North African coast in the next period, Mitavi said for the first time in its post-independence history that "an effective right-wing lobby and right-wing politics in France oppose confrontation with the colonial history" by Algerian official authorities.
Considering the rise of the far right in France and the more demanding attitude of Algeria on this issue, Mitavi underlined that the relations between the two countries may decline and follow a fluctuating course in the coming period.
Algerian journalist Muhammed Muslim also stated that the relations between Algeria and France have entered a pragmatic line and stated that "cooperation on the agreed issues and files with disagreements are not shelved".
Muslim, who predicts that the relations between the two countries will deteriorate in the near future and that France will lose its privileges in Algeria will be affected the most, Muslim said, "The new administration in Algeria wants to cut the fingernails of France into the country."
The total investment of France in Algeria exceeds 2.5 billion dollars according to the data of the end of 2017. According to the figures shared by the Algeria Investment and Development Agency, more than 400 French companies operate in more than 500 projects, including energy, industry and public services, on the Algerian soil.
France's black mark in Africa, its past in Algeria
Algeria began its struggle for independence on November 1, 1954, against the French invasion of the 1830s. Resisting France's bloody intimidation efforts, Algeria came to the fore as the country that paid the heaviest price for its independence in the Arab and Islamic geography as a result of the tough struggle that lasted 8 years and 1.5 million people lost their lives.
While the Paris administration defends that it conducted 17 nuclear bomb tests on Algerian soil between 1960 and 1966, Algerian authorities claim that 57 nuclear tests were conducted.
France still does not officially recognize its crimes over the century and a half in Algeria, which is the most recent and bloodiest example of its colonial history in Africa.
Cezayir-Fransa ilişkilerinde yeni dönem 'gerilim' sinyali veriyor
Cezayir Cumhurbaşkanı Tebbun, Fransa ile ilişkilerinin ilerletilmesi için Paris'in sömürge dönemindeki geçmişiyle yüzleşmesini şart koştu. - Anadolu Ajansı
www.aa.com.tr
