Beni Mellal – As the final week of campaigning for the early legislative elections in France begins, Amazigh organizations in Europe have called for heavy voting on June 30 and July 7 in favor of democratic candidates from the left-wing alliance, represented by the New Popular Front.
With members mostly from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, France’s Amazigh organizations are wary of the far-right party’s xenophobic and anti-immigrant rhetoric, which they fear could lead to nativist and racist policies, i24NEWS reported on Monday.
France’s populist reckoning
According to the report, the Amazigh immigrants believe they are now required to save France once again in the third millennium from what they describe as the “populist and racist threat to the values of freedom, secularism, equality, tolerance, solidarity, and all democratic values.”
They view the far-right National Rally party, whose election campaign is based on hatred and rejection of immigrants and Muslims, as a real danger not only to the French Republic but also to the entire European Union and the Euro-Mediterranean space.
“The French far-right is no different from Nazism,” the i24NEWS report quoted the Amazigh organizations as stressing, highlighting the sacrifices made by Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian fighters who were recruited by the colonial authorities between 1914-1918 and 1939-1945 to defend France and rescue it from the danger posed by Nazism at the time.
However, the prospect of a far-right government in France has also triggered concerns in North Africa, a region historically linked to the country by its colonial past, the news website Middle East Eye (MEE) indicated on Monday.
Many have raised questions about the efforts led by President Emmanuel Macron to improve relations with Algeria, the laborious work of “reconciliation of memories” by historians from both countries, France’s stance on Western Sahara, trade, security cooperation, and relations with Tunisia under the increasingly authoritarian rule of President Kais Saied.
The issue of migration is a primary concern, as France is home to the largest number of migrants from the Maghreb. In 2022, 48.2% of immigrants living in France were born in Africa, with the most common countries of birth being Algeria (12.5%), Morocco (11.9%), and Tunisia (4.7%).
The National Rally has reiterated its determination to repeal the December 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement on immigration, which it presents as “advantageous” for Algerians.
However, the Middle East Eye report cited an ex-Algerian diplomat as arguing that a certain “pragmatism” may prevail between France and Algeria in case of a victory for Marine Le Pen’s party.
The same status quo could apply to Tunisia, an important partner of France and the European Union in combating irregular immigration. Tunisian political analyst Hatem Nafti draws a parallel with Italy’s far-right government, stating that Marine Le Pen speaks almost the same language as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Complex regional geopolitics
The issue of Western Sahara and the National Rally’s expressed support for Morocco’s stance on the disputed region could further complicate the fragile bilateral relationship between Paris and Algiers. Algeria broke off diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021, mainly due to the Western Sahara issue.
Political scientist Aziz Chahir explained to Middle East Eye that the National Rally has historical ties with Morocco. In 1990, Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of the National Front (the previous name of the National Rally), was granted an audience by King Hassan II along with a delegation of other far-right Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
“Like his father, King Mohammed VI has maintained ‘secret’ relations with far-right figures,” Chahir added, citing the example of political scientist Aymeric Chauprade, a former advisor to Marine Le Pen and a staunch defender of the Moroccan position on Western Sahara.
“Devoted to the idea of a French Algeria, Le Pen did not hesitate to express his support in 2007 for the proposed autonomy for Western Sahara within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty,” Chahir recalled.
According to Emmanuel Dupuy, president of the European Institute for Perspective and Security (IPSE), a think tank based in Paris, if Marine Le Pen comes to power, France’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara will be “immediate.”
In Algeria, where such an announcement would likely cause a diplomatic break, observers believe that France, even if led by the far-right, is not ready to take such a risk.
As the French legislative elections approach, the Amazigh communities’ call to vote against the far-right reflects the complex dynamics and historical ties between France and its former North African colonies, as well as the potential implications for migration, security, and diplomatic relations in the region.
Read also: Despite Media Hype, France Not Ready to Support Morocco’s Western Sahara Stance
