French far-right passes resolution against 1968 Algerian deal

The French parliament narrowly adopted a motion proposed by the far-right Rassemblement National to denounce the 1968 French-Algerian accords, passing by a single vote at 185 to 184, according to France 24 via AFP on October 30th.

The text is meant to denounce the 1968 accords between Algeria and France, which provide preferential treatment for Algerians seeking settlement in France. The leader of the far-right group, Marine Le Pen, declared that nothing justifies such accords to exist anymore, especially after the tense relations between the two countries in recent years.

While the resolution is only symbolic and doesn’t have any legislative value, the far-right party is celebrating its first-ever text initiative that was passed by the French parliament. Le Pen congratulated her party for what she deemed a victory, and demanded that the government acknowledge it.

The Rassemblement National obtained just enough votes to pass after an alliance between right-wing parties and the absence of 50 key parliamentarians helped them in their goal to demonstrate their disapproval of the 1968 deal.

The 1968 Algerian deal was signed 6 years after Algeria’s independence from its French coloniser. The accords used to provide much more freedom for Algerians compared to other nationalities to circulate freely and settle in France.

According to France 24 via AFP, these freedoms were restrained over time with multiple amendments that gradually brought Algerian nationals closer to the general migration rules for non-EU citizens. Nonetheless, it still gives Algerians an easier path to settlement compared to other nationalities.

In the past few years, tensions arose between France and Algeria and the accords were seen as a solution to put pressure on the North African country’s government by President Macron’s ministers. Pressure that was intensified by French right-wing parties, who pushed for a tougher approach to the Algerian case, dismissing Macron’s preferred diplomatic approach.

The countries’ relationship was first strained in January 2021 when Emmanuel Macron’s government released a statement that angered the Algerian leader, Abdelmadjid Tebboune. France announced that it would not apologise or repent for their atrocities during their colonial rule of Algeria, as well as the bloody eight-year war that led to Algeria’s independence, according to France 24 via AFP.

Macron’s dismissive comments led Algeria to retaliate by recalling its ambassador and closing its airspace to France’s military, according to Al Jazeera via AFP. However, in August 2022, the relations seemed to have cooled off after the leaders met in Algiers and announced an era of “new, irreversible dynamic of progress” with Macron also admitting to French colonial crimes.

In July 2024, their ties crumbled once again when France recognised Morocco’s controversial sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara territory. Morocco and Algeria have different plans for the territory’s future, and France’s shift in foreign policy deeply angered the Algerian leadership, which supports the Polisario Front and the Sahrawi people’s independence.

The recent departure of the former French Interior Minister was welcomed by Algerian media, which viewed it as a possible opening for improved bilateral relations. The minister had taken a hardline stance on immigration, pursuing the prosecution of several Algerian nationals and pressuring Algiers to readmit them – demands that the Algerian government repeatedly rejected.

While it’s only symbolic, this text puts pressure on the French leadership to respond and consider paths that could further escalate the current diplomatic crisis with Algiers. The new French Interior Minister seems determined to reopen the dialogue with Algeria, yet the revocation of the accords could serve as a lever to increase pressure on the North African country.

France 24 via AFP, Al Jazeera via AFP, Maghrebi.org