Algeria defends its decision to expel 12 French embassy officials after France arrested three Algerian nationals, including a consular agent, accusing French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau of orchestrating the arrests.
Tensions escalate between France and Algeria. On the evening of April 14, 2025, Algeria upheld its “sovereign decision” to expel 12 French officials, risking French retaliation. Earlier that day, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot urged Algerian authorities to reconsider. The expulsions follow France’s arrest in Paris of an Algerian consular agent suspected of involvement in the kidnapping of a political refugee in France. President Emmanuel Macron has now intervened, raising the tone.
Macron’s team calls Algeria’s response “disproportionate,” noting it contradicts commitments made by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune during a call with Macron just two weeks prior, when a joint statement described their exchange as open and friendly.
However, Algeria blames the renewed tensions on the “negative, deplorable, and consistent attitude” of Bruno Retailleau. Macron has given himself 48 hours to clarify the situation, with potential French measures on the table, though details remain undisclosed.
Bruno Retailleau in Morocco, staying silent While Algeria holds Retailleau fully responsible for the diplomatic strain, the French Interior Minister, currently visiting Morocco, has adopted a cautious stance but stands by his firm approach. In Rabat, Retailleau avoids commenting on the Algerian issue, focusing instead on announcing a strengthened immigration partnership with Morocco. His team denies that the Morocco trip was meant to provoke Algeria, dismissing claims it was akin to “a camel ride in Western Sahara.”
Retailleau now takes an observer role in the Algerian crisis, playing the “bad cop” while Macron and Barrot pursue diplomacy. However, even at the French Foreign Ministry, the tone is shifting, with Barrot warning that Algeria’s decision “will not be without consequences.”
Algerian authorities have fixated on Retailleau, with one source close to him saying, “He’s become their obsession, the most infamous Frenchman in Algiers, public enemy number one.” Yet, Retailleau appears ready to embrace this role.
