British Think-tank reveals real reason behind Teboune’s invitation to G-7 & expects France’s recognition of Moroccanness of Sahara
Algeria’s president Abdelmadjid Tebboune was invited to the latest G7 summit held in Italy due to the pressure exerted by French President Emmanuel Macron, says a London-based think-tank in its latest report.
If, as expected, French party Rassemblement National (RN) wins upcoming snap parliamentary elections and takes control of the government, it will almost certainly recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara, affirms Menas Associates, which provides intelligence to decision-makers.
The far-right government will also cancel the key 1968 Franco-Algerian treaty which created a special status for Algerian nationals in terms of movement, residence, and employment in France, making the Algerian regime and their French protectors, especially those of the centrist Renaissance party, extremely nervous.
After suffering a crushing defeat of his party in the European Parliament elections, M. Macron called for a snap legislative vote to take place on June 30 and July 7.
Teboune’s last-minute invitation to attend the G7 summit, which was celebrated by Algerian-state media as a diplomatic achievement, was arranged by President Macron following the results of the European Parliament elections on June 9, says the British think-tank.
The upcoming elections are likely to have serious consequences for French-Algerian relations and the remaining three years of Macron’s presidency.
On the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy, Tebboune met Macron. While it was publicized and commented extensively by the Algerian media, the Elysée did not immediately publish any photo or comment on it. No official French source discussed or published anything about their encounter, say the experts of Menas Associates.
Eventually there was a press release from the Elysée but the smoke and mirrors statement fooled no-one into believing it because talks between the two presidents are believed to have focused on France’s legislative elections and their implications for Algeria.
If the RN wins the majority of the votes and takes control of the government, it will have severe consequences because the party of Marine le Pen is known for its hostility towards Algeria. A victory of RN would also affect Tebboune’s state visit to Paris and complicate further an already difficult bilateral relationship, say the British analysts.
Tebboune therefore wants to obtain reassurances from Macron about the possible impacts on bilateral relations. For his part, the French President, who is very aware of the Algerian diaspora’s electoral weigh, expects the Algerian regime to encourage its expatriates to vote against the far right in the forthcoming elections.
