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Marrakech – French philosopher Pascal Bruckner unleashed a devastating critique of Algeria’s diplomatic collapse following the release of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, delivering his verdict with surgical precision.
The prominent intellectual dissected the regime’s capitulation, declaring with uncompromising clarity that “Algeria ceded because it had lost everything.”
His analysis cut through diplomatic niceties to expose a government stripped of allies, credibility, and strategic leverage on the international stage. Bruckner’s scathing assessment revealed a regime forced into submission not by humanitarian appeals, but by the brutal reality of its own diplomatic failures and mounting isolation.
In an interview on Le Figaro TV, Bruckner directly linked Sansal’s liberation to Algeria’s crushing diplomatic defeats on the international stage. “Algeria lost in the negotiations on Western Sahara. It was disavowed at the UN, even by the Russians and Chinese, who are the traditional allies of the Algerian regime,” he stated.
The philosopher noted that President Abdelmadjid Tebboune found himself “completely isolated” on the world stage. He pointed out that Donald Trump’s pressure to reconcile Morocco and Algeria includes recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.
“Tebboune found himself isolated. Algeria is completely isolated. It’s a regime in complete failure,” Bruckner declared. He described this as a “bloody failure” for the Algerian president.
The irony of the timing of Sansal’s exit from prison was not lost on Bruckner. He observed a striking paradox in the case. Sansal was originally imprisoned for stating on the television program “Frontières” that the Eastern Sahara historically belonged to Morocco.
In a reversal no one could have scripted and a twist that feels almost cinematic, it was precisely the international recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara that ultimately contributed to securing his release.
Bruckner dismissed claims that humanitarian concerns motivated the release. “It’s the absolute isolation of Algiers on the international scene that made President Tebboune reflect,” he insisted. “The great winner of this contest is obviously Morocco.”
Algeria weaponized hostility to pressure Paris
The philosopher criticized France’s diplomatic approach throughout the crisis. He revealed that President Emmanuel Macron directly asked him not to campaign for Sansal’s release. “At a dinner organized in late September at the Élysée, there were 30 witnesses who can say it. He recommended silence,” Bruckner disclosed.
Macron also advised the Goncourt literary prize committee not to agitate for Sansal. “He didn’t want to fall into disgrace with President Tebboune, who must be an extremely irritable man since even French power pampers him,” Bruckner observed.
The writer called France’s approach fundamentally flawed. “It’s absurd to oppose diplomacy and force. The two go hand in hand,” he argued. He noted that France holds two Algerian agents in prison for espionage activities on French soil.
Bruckner expressed shock at Macron’s thanks to the Algerian regime. “Thanking Steinmeier is normal, but thanking the one who took Boualem Sansal hostage is incomprehensible. I see in this a Stockholm syndrome effect,” he stated.
The philosopher described Algeria as “a regime that never emerged from colonization” mentally. He characterized the government as using France as a scapegoat for its failures, particularly the civil war that cannot be discussed.
Bruckner criticized left-wing politicians who celebrated Sansal’s release after remaining silent during his imprisonment. He specifically mentioned MPs who had shown no support, with one even expressing satisfaction at his imprisonment.
The intellectual warned French tourists against traveling to Algeria immediately. “It’s a trip from which one might only return after a year or two if one has the misfortune to be like Boualem Sansal or Christophe Gleizes, who still hasn’t returned,” he cautioned.
Bruckner called for a complete restructuring of Franco-Algerian relations. He advocated for “neutral relations, an equal partnership,” but acknowledged this seems impossible with Algeria’s current leadership.
“Algeria can no longer use the pretext of French occupation to explain its failures and especially to explain what was worst in recent Algerian history,” he concluded. The philosopher demanded a “language of firmness” in dealing with the isolated regime.
Sansal’s release came through German mediation, showing France’s diplomatic impotence in the crisis. Bruckner’s assessment painted a picture of an Algerian regime internationally discredited and strategically defeated by Morocco’s diplomatic breakthroughs.
