Latest news with #BrunoRetailleau
Reuters
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Reuters
French minister Retailleau breaks with Macron as 2027 succession race heats up
PARIS, July 23 (Reuters) - French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau delivered a stern rebuke of President Emmanuel Macron's political legacy in an interview published on Wednesday, breaking with his boss to stake his claim as his potential successor in the 2027 election. Less than two years before the end of Macron's second term, after which he can't immediately seek reelection, an increasingly crowded group of potential candidates to succeed the French leader is starting to emerge. Retailleau, a veteran conservative, has yet to declare his candidacy for 2027 but his comments to the right-wing Valeurs Actuelles magazine underline how likely presidential contenders are now trying to distance themselves from Macron's bruised political brand and carve out their own electoral niche. They also point to the fissures in France's weak minority government, a coalition of centrists and conservatives, that will likely widen as the presidential succession heats up. "Macronism will end with Emmanuel Macron, quite simply because it's neither a political movement nor an ideology: it essentially relies on one man," he was quoted as saying. A spokesperson for Macron declined to comment. Retailleau beat rivals in a leadership contest for the right-wing Republicans party in May, teeing him up for a potential presidential run. As the face of the government's push on rising drug crime and immigration, he has become one of France's most popular politicians. Retailleau has a 36% approval rating, according to a July Ipsos poll, compared with 24% for Macron. Retailleau's comments sparked a barrage of criticism from lawmakers in Macron's party. "Macronism is an ideology and a political party," Macron's former prime minister Elisabeth Borne, who hails from the left and is now education minister, posted on X. "Acting together requires mutual respect." Macron swept to power in 2017 at the head of his own movement which he said was "neither to the left nor the right". He implemented pro-European, pro-business policies once in power, but was seen as too pro-wealth for the left and not tough enough on crime and immigration for the right. As his popularity has fallen, his domination of the centre has pushed more French people to the political fringes. Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) party is now the largest single parliamentary party, and she and her right-hand man Jordan Bardella lead many polls for the 2027 election. Retailleau said there would be a return to a clear left-right divide once Macron's term ends. A source close to Retailleau, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the minister's comments were to be expected in a coalition government and that he had no plans to resign. He was set to meet Macron on Thursday for a previously scheduled chat.
El Chorouk
a day ago
- Politics
- El Chorouk
French Right Demands EU Halt Negotiations With Algeria!
European MP and second-in-command of France's right-wing 'Les Républicains' party, François-Xavier Bellamy, revealed that the silence surrounding Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau for weeks, as he stopped attacking Algeria, was a result of a request from French authorities, hoping for Sansal's release. He also revealed that Retailleau would meet with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday to clarify matters regarding the management of the crisis with Algeria. François-Xavier Bellamy stated: 'The Interior Minister, and generally in the European Parliament (…), were asked to remain silent (regarding Algeria), otherwise the fate of Boualem Sansal's release would be risked, which we were informed was imminent.' This is the second such statement in less than a week from 'Les Républicains,' following the tense statements made by party leader Bruno Retailleau last weekend. The French Interior Minister had announced the end of the undeclared truce with Algeria last Friday, when he said in press statements: 'The diplomacy of good intentions has failed… We must change our tone and rely on the balance of power chosen by the Algerian government itself,' he claimed. As symbols of the French right freed themselves from the political constraints imposed on them in dealing with Algeria, the threads of the conspiracy against Algeria from within the European Parliament began to unravel. On Monday evening, the vice-president of 'Les Républicains' demanded, in a statement to Agence France-Presse (AFP), that the European Union make the release of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal a 'fundamental condition' for the negotiations expected to begin soon between Algeria and Brussels. Like his party leader, the European MP strongly criticized his country's stance in dealing with the escalating crisis with Algeria, considering it 'negative,' noting that: 'What we are witnessing are the consequences of a form of submission (of France to Algeria),' while commenting on the positions of the Élysée Palace and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying that they preferred to return to 'a position of surrender and negativity, which will contribute to tarnishing France's reputation, not only before Algeria, but on the international stage in general.' It is known that Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot did not delay much in responding to Bruno Retailleau's demands. He expressed his complete rejection of what his government colleague said in a tweet on the 'X' platform, which read: 'There is no diplomacy of good feelings, nor diplomacy of resentment. There is only diplomacy.' Although he did not target Retailleau by name, the response was clear to the phrase 'the diplomacy of good intentions has failed.' Based on the statement by the European MP from 'Les Républicains,' Retailleau will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday to discuss the position the French government should adopt, given the Algerian side's adherence to the sovereignty of judicial decisions in Sansal's case, and thus its rejection of repeated French demands in this regard. The leader of 'Les Républicains,' who also holds the portfolio of the Ministry of Interior, demands the use of a balance of power logic with Algeria, due to the issue of migrants and the cancellation or revision of the 1968 agreement. These demands are rejected by the French President and the Foreign Minister, who consider them outside the Interior Minister's powers, which puts Retailleau's future in François Bayrou's government at a real test.
El Chorouk
2 days ago
- Politics
- El Chorouk
Algerian Foreign Ministry Official Responds to the French Interior Minister
An official source at the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was inquired about the recent statement by French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau to Le Figaro newspaper, in which he announced his intention to instruct French prefectures 'not to recognise passports issued by Algerian consulates to Algerian citizens to obtain residence permits.' The source was keen to recall, first, that granting these passports is a right for Algerian citizens and that issuing them is a duty incumbent upon the sovereign Algerian state. Therefore, recognising these passports is a duty imposed upon the French state. The same source considered the French minister's statement to be arbitrary, discriminatory, and an abuse of power, as it explicitly contravenes French law itself. As far as its author is concerned, this statement has a clear political dimension, is also legally unfounded, and is not based on any rule in French law itself. In the same context, the official explained that the passports in question are issued at the request of the French prefectures themselves, as they are indispensable reference documents in applications for residence permits. On this basis, the failure to recognise these passports, as stated by the French Interior Minister, constitutes a violation of individual rights and a further breach of France's bilateral and international obligations.
The National
3 days ago
- Politics
- The National
France's campaigning 'Lady Gaza' rallies support for a one-state vision
In a sea of political grey suits, Rima Hassan, a 33-year old migration lawyer and firebrand member of the European Parliament, has come to embody France's pro-Palestinian movement. Establishment views on her rise has mostly been sharply critical. Few in France's political mainstream are receptive to her post-colonial politics and campaigning for the application of international law to Israeli actions. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has filed a complaint accusing her of supporting terrorism. A prominent comedian has derisively dubbed her 'Lady Gaza'. In June, the France Unbowed politician gained international visibility by joining a Gaza flotilla alongside climate activist Greta Thunberg. She was held and then deported after the Israel military boarded the boat off the Palestinian enclave. Days later, this boost in profile saw Ms Hassan ranked 44th in a Ifop-Fiducial poll of France's 50 most popular figures. In an interview with The National, Ms Hassan said she sees her role as a voice for the voiceless amid a rupture where, she says, those in power are not in sync with the new generation. 'I'm indeed very alone in [the European] Parliament, when you look at the average age and career path,' Ms Hassan said. 'I come from civil society. I am not shaped by politics. It's really a question of what kind of platform people have access to.' It's about re-framing the struggle Former Israeli negotiator, Daniel Levy On Instagram, where she is wearing the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh in her profile picture, Ms Hassan has amassed one million followers. That makes the left-wing politician more popular on the platform than 29-year old far-right leader Jordan Bardella, whose National Rally party came first in last year's parliamentary election. She uses her growing profile to push for a one-state solution that recognises both the Jewish and Palestinian Arab national identities, such as a Swiss-style confederation or a new type of umbrella state for two distinct nationalities. It is a proposal often dismissed as a heresy that imperils the existence of the Jewish state. 'There is nothing more pragmatic than the one-state solution,' Ms Hassan bats back. 'The question of a [one] state is a demand which for me is the most progressive. There is a generational rupture in the understanding of the Palestinian cause.' In an interview with The National, Ms Hassan said that the post-Oslo Accords generation, born in the 1990s like her, is rethinking what peace and justice must look like. 'There's a lack of understanding about the new generation and its ideals,' Ms Hassan said. 'It goes beyond nationalist causes. It's about equality of rights and freedom of movement.' Before her deportation in June, Ms Hassan cut an olive branch to carry back as a reminder of the land from which her grandparents were expelled during the Nakba, after the formation of Israel in 1948. Born stateless in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria, Ms Hassan, who moved with her mother to France as a child. She is often referred to as Syrian though she only holds French citizenship − a framing some see as an effort to erase her Palestinian identity. The olive branch memento now represents a personal triumph for Ms Hassan, who shed tears of rage when she failed to gain entry to Israel at age 18 having obtained French citizenship. Israeli security refused to let her on-board the plane at Charles de Gaulle Airport. She was not prominent at the time, though Israel often bars pro-Palestinians from travel. From the margins A one-state solution is an old idea first championed in the 1920s and later resurrected by the Palestine Liberation Organisation. The concept was seemingly eclipsed by the global recognition of the Oslo Accords in 1993, though even at the time there was criticism these did not impose the creation of a Palestinian state. While the Palestinian Authority fell short, it was the first-ever recognition by Israeli leadership of the existence of a Palestinian people. The rapid expansion of Israeli settlements and the increasing encroachment on the territorial integrity of that Palestinian entity, ultimately saw the Second Intifada break out in 2000. Years of stalemate and reverses on the ground, culminating in the Gaza war, has seen a groundswell among intellectuals and the younger Palestinian generation for a one-state pathway. 'I belong to a generation that starts from the observation that Oslo did not work,' says Ms Hassan. 'And that there is a new paradigm which is that of apartheid," she added, referring to a notion backed by rights organisations that rules applied to Palestinians and Arab Israelis regarding freedom of movement and treatment by the judiciary amount to systemic discrimination. Ms Hassan acknowledges that her vision remains marginal in UN and diplomatic circles. French President Emmanuel Macron has in fact promised a boost to a two-state solution with French recognition of a Palestinian state soon. Foreign Affairs spokesman Christophe Lemoine told The National the term 'one state' was legally vague and politically impractical. Behind closed doors, Ms Hassan said, some European diplomats privately concede that the two-state solution is no longer viable. 'They tell me: I am obliged to support the two-state solution because it is the policy supported by the EU. But as a diplomat, my personal opinion is that it is not possible,' she said. 'We have to get out of this paralysis.' She points at Jewish organisations around the world that share her vision. Current Israeli cabinet members oppose both a one-state and a two-state solution, and a number have called for the expulsion of Gazans to unspecified destinations. The country is currently negotiating a Gaza ceasefire, but it has not meaningfully engaged with the Palestinian authority in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's present term. Ms Hassan believes in severe international pressure in response. An arms embargo and an end to privileged trade relations between the EU and Israel are among her main demands. Former Israeli negotiator Daniel Levy argued Ms Hassan's self-proclaimed radical approach is essential to change power dynamics and become a worthy adversary to Israel – even if it takes a long time. 'It's about reframing the struggle,' Mr Levy told The National. 'This is not about a solution that gets implemented tomorrow, because tomorrow you're not going to have two states. You're not going to have one state.' 'You frame the conflict in the way that Israel has now framed it, which is to create an apartheid state. And you challenge that. Then once Israelis realise there's a cost to it, they may change their position.' We have to get out of this paralysis. French MEP Rima Hassan Others are less generous. Mr Bardella has described her as the ' Hamas ambassador at the EU,' a label rooted in her assertion that Palestinians have the right to armed resistance under international law. While she has condemned as war crimes the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks on Israeli communities in which about 1,200 people were killed and 240 abducted, Ms Hassan's output on X is a succession of sharply worded posts describing Israel as a terrorist and genocidal state. Almost 58,670 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's Gaza strikes and ground offensive since the war began. When asked, Ms Hassan says her focus on Palestinian rights during the explosive post-October 7 period is unapologetic. She has unsettled a political consensus that has seen relative disengagement of French diplomacy in the Middle East since late president Jacques Chirac left power in 2007. She has also been criticised for her muted criticism of the crimes of the former Assad regime. Historic juncture Ms Hassan's voice is part of a broader generational shift, said Leila Farsakh, professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The brutal images coming out of Gaza are changing the global narrative. 'The one-state solution's moment has arrived,' Ms Farsakh, a specialist of the Palestinian statehood question, told The National. 'We are today at a historic juncture − as important as 1948 or 1967 − and Israel is trying to reassert the supremacy of Jewish rights,' she said. 'But Palestinians are much more vocal and present than in 1948 or 1967. They are able to articulate their rights and refuse subjugation.' In French academia, scepticism is strong. Jean-Paul Chagnollaud, president of the Institute for Mediterranean and Middle East Research and Studies think tank in Paris, called a one-state model an 'absurd dream'. 'The nature of a Jewish state entails a Jewish majority,' he said, pointing at demographics of seven million Palestinians, including Arab Israelis, and seven million Jews. 'That means that even the most moderate Israelis would reject the idea of a Palestinian majority state.' Like Ms Farsakh, Ms Hassan often cites the views of Palestinian intellectual Edward Said that Israeli state policy as 'apartheid ' was comparable with South Africa's historic racial segregation. Israel rejects the use of the word apartheid and says separate legal and permitting measures or designations are linked to security concerns. Western countries, including France, resist using the term 'apartheid' in relation to Israel. For Ms Hassan however, it is the fundamental reality that must drive a solution to the conflict with her lifetime. 'It is the paradigm of apartheid that really makes us understand demands to put forward a one-state solution,' she said. 'I don't see what's difficult to understand. The Oslo agreements were perhaps relevant at the time they were signed. What is the relevance of still referring to agreements that have constantly shown us that they have failed for the past 30 or 40 years?'
El Chorouk
16-07-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
French Intelligence Leaks Document Targeting Algeria!
The decline in official French statements hostile to Algeria does not necessarily mean that Paris has a desire to de-escalate and restore bilateral relations, which have been on ice for about a year now. The proof is the leaking of an official document from a sovereign French body that attacks Algeria and accuses it of destabilizing France. This document was issued by the 'French Service for Vigilance and Protection against Foreign Digital Interference,' known by its acronym 'Viginum,' which represents the technical information branch of French intelligence. It was leaked to the satirical newspaper 'Le Canard Enchaîné' and includes accusations that Algeria is waging an electronic war against France with the aim of destabilizing it, according to the newspaper, which claimed to have seen it. In its issue published on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, the newspaper spoke of another 'war,' not apparent, in addition to the escalating diplomatic crisis, taking place in the virtual world, based on the document leaked from the corridors of the French intelligence's cybercrime fighting services. This marks the latest escalation from the French side, after months of an undeclared truce, during which French politicians, led by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, refrained from delving into the current diplomatic and political crisis. The document issued by the 'French Service for Vigilance and Protection against Foreign Digital Interference' claims that an army of fake Algerian accounts is waging an anti-France campaign on social media platforms to manipulate public opinion and tarnish the reputation of the French government. It also claims that these accounts publish 'the exact same content at the exact same time or within minutes.' The document, which attempted to provide some details, based on what 'Le Canard Enchaîné' reported, speaks of the creation of 4652 online posts and 55 YouTube videos about an alleged conspiracy by the French Directorate-General for External Security against Algeria within just twenty days in December 2024, as well as targeting some French brands, such as the cheese brand 'La Vache qui rit,' the automotive giant 'Peugeot,' and the famous brand 'Lacoste' specializing in clothing. In a serious escalation that indicates that the warming of bilateral relations is not as close as some portray it, the French Service for Vigilance and Protection against Foreign Digital Interference accuses Algerian sovereign entities, which confirms that the French authorities are trying to hide behind media leaks in order to provoke Algeria, and then hide behind freedom of expression, as they market their justifications every time. The document leaked by 'Le Canard Enchaîné' comes at a time when the French authorities are experiencing a state of frustration due to the failure of all their maneuvers aimed at dissuading the Algerian authorities from some of their sovereign positions, especially regarding the continued imprisonment of the Franco-Algerian writer, Boualem Sansal, and the sports journalist, Christophe Galtier, a dilemma that has exhausted the Paris authorities and put them before difficult challenges in front of French public opinion. It is not unlikely that this incident will pass without a firm Algerian response, for which the appropriate time will be chosen, because the document was issued by a sovereign entity, and it reveals how a highly sensitive French institution views Algeria. Moreover, the existence of such a belief means that the victim party, if it can be said, will respond in its own way, and this indicates that there are signs of an impending escalation on the Algiers-Paris axis, which remains hostage to the repercussions of the ill-considered decision taken by French President Emmanuel Macron last summer, by engaging in support for the so-called autonomy plan in Western Sahara, which was presented by the Moroccan regime in 2007.
