Algeria Gate: The sequence is unlikely to please those in France who view Algeria solely through the prism of authoritarianism. Invited on France Inter, Ségolène Royal refused to label the Algerian regime “authoritarian,” redirected the discussion toward French realities and called for a reset with Algiers.
Pressed repeatedly by journalist Benjamin Duhamel, she replied: “No, I cannot say that… It is up to the Algerian people to define themselves.” She acknowledged certain problems in Algeria but rejected a blanket characterisation, contrasting with much of the French media’s persistently negative framing.
Turning the mirror on France, she asked: “And France… what is France?” citing recent tensions around school protests and police interventions. France, she noted, also faces its own problems; it is difficult under those conditions to act as permanent judge of others.
On the cases of Boualem Sansal and French journalist Christophe Gleizes, she maintained her refusal to describe the regime as authoritarian and criticised the detention of an Algerian consular agent by France as unwise. Challenging the systematically negative image of Algeria, she asked whether the Pope would have visited the country if it were as portrayed, and whether the violence seen in the streets of Paris itself is not “barbaric.”
Beyond the controversy, Royal advocated a pragmatic approach: restoring diplomatic relations would be “intelligent,” particularly to strengthen energy cooperation and allow France access to Algerian gas. She also highlighted green hydrogen and urged Europeans to work more closely with their Maghreb neighbours and Africa more broadly; a discourse that stands in clear contrast to the moralising tone of certain French commentators.
