Paris: In a historic move, the National Assembly in France has narrowly passed a resolution tabled by the far-right National Rally party that is pushing vehemently for France’s withdrawal from a long-standing migration agreement with erstwhile colony, Algeria. A first for Marine Le Pen’s National Rally. They scraped through by just a single vote; 185 against 184. The National Rally’s victory, albeit slim is sign of changing tides in France’s foreign policy.
The resolution focuses on the 1968 Franco-Algerian Agreement, a bilateral agreement that was signed six years after Algeria gained its independence in 1962. The agreement favours Algerian nationals in their ability to live and work in France. The agreement came at a time when France was looking for manpower after the devastation caused by World War II and created a unique immigration system for Algerians. In 2024 alone, more than 613,000 residency certificates were issued, representing the population link between Algeria and France.
Under the agreement, Algerians can live in France without a visa for long stays, obtain 10-year residency papers only after remaining in France for three years, and bring their families who are entitled to the same privileges. This system has been deemed by critics across the spectrum as violating the principle of equality among foreign nationals living in the country and as being burdensome for the financial resources of the French state. According to a parliamentary report presented earlier this month, “The treaty represents a unilateral declaration of France” because the authorities in Algeria “do not grant the same privileges to French nationals.”
The resolution comes at a time when the relations between Paris and Algiers are already embittered due to disputes related to the flow of migrants, Algeria’s failure to repatriate illegal migrants in France, as well as Paris’ siding with Morocco in the wrangle over the Western Sahara conflict. Experts predict that the relinquishing the treaty would worsen the already frail ties between the two countries. Since the end of Algerian war for Independence in 1962 Franco-Algerian relations have never been this abysmal.
Even as the National Assembly resolution lacks binding effect, the political implication is weighty. Marine Le Pen declared the outcome “a victory for national sovereignty and the defence of equality before the law.” For President Emmanuel Macron's administration, struggling to contend with a rebellious National Assembly and dissipating majority support in parliament, the outcome represents a stinging blow. While Jordan Bardella, Le Pen’s blue-eyed boy demands that Emmanuel Macron put an end to the accord, newly re-appointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is of the opinion that treaty be “re-negotiated”.
Immigration, colonial links, and the politics of identity are increasingly becoming the litmus tests for the politics of Europe. France languishing in political instability can have major implications for the India’s relationship with France, its important defence partner in the Indo-pacific region.
The situation reflects the challenges of many developing countries in maintaining the ties of the past and living up to the demands of the diaspora. In the current reassessment of post-colonial ties in Europe, Le Pen's parliamentary success could be prophetic of a more severe French policy not only in North Africa but also its trade and migration policy concerning the Global South.
