Amman Today

publish date 2026-02-16 21:41:00

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez arrived in Algeria on Monday on a visit during which he seeks to restore warmth to relations between the two countries in light of ongoing diplomatic tensions.

To talk about this thorny relationship, FRANCE 24 interviewed researcher Adlan Mohammadi.

France 24: How do you view Laurent Nunez’s visit to Algeria?

Adlan Mohammadi: Laurent Nunez is very cautious, as he succeeds a man as Interior Minister [برونو روتايو، رئيس حزب “الجمهوريون” اليميني، والمرشح لانتخابات الرئاسة في 2027] He was very aggressive towards the Algerian authority. The main difference is that Nunez is a security expert. He is a former director of the General Directorate of Internal Security and a former coordinator of the country’s Counter-Terrorism Authority. In addition, he has no political ambitions and does not seek to gain electoral votes. What matters to him is the resumption of the security dialogue, which has been essential between the two countries since the 1990s.

How would you describe Laurent Nunez’s approach?

It represents a change in style compared to its predecessor. He wants results and wants to resume the security dialogue. In addition to these cases, there is also the file of journalist Christophe Glez. He did not address this issue publicly, because activating consular protection is not within the jurisdiction of the Minister of the Interior. But this topic will likely be part of the discussions.

Has Bruno Ritaio’s tough approach harmed French-Algerian relations?

What Laurent Nunez does shows the failure of Rotayo’s method. Talking about “weakness” and “strength” when it comes to a bilateral relationship is of no benefit to the two countries. This was not his specialty at all. It was focused, like the French right, on the 1968 agreements, which were often mistakenly seen as carrying some sort of privilege for the Algerians. It is, in fact, an agreement that has regulated Algerian immigration since the 1960s.

Laurent Nunez does not talk about it this time because he knows that it does nothing and changes absolutely nothing in relations between the two countries, including with regard to migration flows.

The difference between the two men is that Rutayo wanted to practice “political” politics and wanted to show that the right was capable of taking a firm stand on some diplomatic issues. The French right has shown extreme weakness towards everything that happened in the Middle East, and towards the insults it was subjected to from its supposed ally (America), or even regarding the Ukrainian issue. Algeria remained the last issue in which the French right was able to show its resolve.

Is there hope for continued détente?

There must be diplomatic signals. There is no Algerian ambassador to France, while the French ambassador was summoned to Paris.

On the diplomatic level, the situation remains sensitive, and crises still occasionally arise over minor details, such as the “Additional Investigation” programme. [الخاص بالعلاقات الجزائرية الفرنسية، والذي بثه التلفزيون الفرنسي العام قبل أيام] Which sparked criticism from the Algerian side. However, in parallel with these tensions, there is an ongoing economic relationship. There is a close relationship between the two countries from a demographic standpoint, with millions of citizens involved between the two banks. It is a relationship that cannot be sacrificed.

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World News

Source 1 : https://www.france24.com/ar/فرنسا/20260216-علاقات-الجزائر-فرنسا-حوار-لوران-نونيز-فشل-برونو-روتايو

Source 2 : ألدستور