Algeria and France: Messages Without Answers — Paris Hides Diplomatic Confusion Behind the Veil of Memory

The participation of French Ambassador to Algeria, Stéphane Romatet, in the commemoration of the October 17, 1961 massacres in the suburbs of Paris may appear at first glance as a humane gesture or an act of historical remembrance. Yet, according to numerous observers, it is far from an expression of genuine repentance — rather, it signals a deep diplomatic disorientation within Paris, which finds itself scrambling to repair a relationship fractured by arrogance, inconsistency, and political blindness.

Today, France stands as the supplicant, sending symbolic gestures toward Algiers, while Algeria remains steadfast and measured, observing with strategic restraint the erratic behavior of its former colonizer. These gestures, however, have been met with silence — “messages without answers”, as Algerian analysts have aptly described them. For beneath the veneer of remorse, France has failed to translate its symbolic postures into substantive policy changes.

From Influence to Irrelevance: France’s Declining Leverage

For decades, France relied on its so-called “historical ties” to maneuver freely within the Algerian landscape. That era, however, is over. The geopolitical map has changed, and Algeria now engages with France not from a position of dependency, but from one of parity. Armed with political confidence, strategic autonomy, and economic resilience, Algeria has redefined the terms of engagement, signaling the end of French monopoly over regional influence.

Political scientist Rachid Ben Aïssa, speaking to Algeria Now, bluntly stated that “France’s symbolic moves only expose its crisis of credibility following its reckless recognition of Morocco’s fabricated sovereignty over Western Sahara.” He added that President Emmanuel Macron’s directives to dispatch Romatet to the commemoration are nothing more than a publicity maneuver, intended to polish France’s image before Algerian public opinion — a futile effort in light of Paris’s overt complicity with Rabat’s colonial ambitions.

Ben Aïssa’s analysis encapsulates the deep Algerian awareness of France’s duplicity. The so-called gestures of reconciliation are perceived in Algiers not as bridges of good faith, but as temporary tactics of damage control.

Memory as a Refuge for Political Failure

France’s recurrent invocation of memory whenever dialogue collapses has become a predictable pattern of avoidance. “Turning to history when one fails to manage the present,” notes Ben Aïssa, “is the hallmark of a state that has lost moral and strategic coherence.” He argues that while Algeria approaches memory as a sacred right and moral debt that can never be bartered, France exploits it as a political instrument, seeking absolution without accountability.

In Algeria’s view, true reconciliation cannot be built on theatrical commemoration or empty remorse, but on a courageous revision of policies that continue to disregard the sovereignty of nations — particularly on the question of Western Sahara, which remains under UN decolonization mandate.

Between Words of Regret and Acts of Arrogance

Ben Aïssa further noted that Ambassador Romatet’s participation in the 17 October ceremony does not amount to an apology, nor even to an acknowledgment of guilt. “It merely exposes France’s oscillation between rhetoric of contrition and practice of domination,” he said, emphasizing that Paris is now facing the visible erosion of its influence in North Africa, while Algeria consolidates its leadership in the Sahel and Central Africa.

Indeed, Algeria no longer receives France’s signals as a subordinate, but as an equal power in a multipolar world. Every French overture is scrutinized with vigilance, for experience has shown that France acts only when its interests are threatened.

The New Equation: Algeria Observes, France Hesitates

The emerging dynamic between the two nations is no longer governed by sentimental rhetoric or the illusion of shared history. Algeria acts as a confident regional actor, crafting its foreign policy on the principles of sovereignty, reciprocity, and respect. France, meanwhile, must now choose: either it adapts to the new realities of power, or it resigns itself to a gradual withdrawal from a region it once presumed to dominate.

This is not a passing diplomatic chill but a structural shift in mutual understanding. Algeria — assertive, self-reliant, and increasingly influential — is no longer content to play the role of the deferential partner. It demands equality, coherence, and sincerity.

For France, the time of double discourse has expired. To regain credibility, Paris must abandon its colonial reflexes and hypocritical diplomacy, replacing words of nostalgia with actions rooted in justice, respect, and strategic fairness.

The age of emotional manipulation is over. As Algeria’s posture makes clear, peoples no longer bow to symbols — they demand tangible respect for sovereignty, dignity, and truth.

France can no longer hide behind memory to mask its confusion. Algeria, resolute and clear-eyed, is writing a new chapter — one where partnership replaces paternalism, and equality triumphs over nostalgia.