The French-Algerian relationship may indeed be cyclical, subject to the regular up-and-down of quarrels and rapprochement – the legacy of a colonial history in which political strife was intertwined with immigration patterns – but the turbulent period in which Paris and Algiers find themselves has disarmed even the most optimistic. The latest crisis, which began last summer with the dispute over the Western Sahara and has been amplified since mid-November 2024 by the arrest of the French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, shows no sign of abating, at least in the short term.

Emmanuel Macron's comments on Monday, January 6, calling into question Algeria's "honor" in the Sansal case, have added to the animosity. "Algeria, which we love so much and with which we share so many children and so many stories, is entering a story that is dishonoring it by preventing a seriously ill man from receiving treatment. This is not worthy of what it is," the French president told French ambassadors gathered at the Elysée Palace. The very fact that Macron left behind his customary reserve on this issue to openly criticize Algiers's action is a sign of the new climate.

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