France’s Macron in Algeria: Frosty ties, bitter history

Macron’s visit is an attempt to mend relations between France and Algeria, which hit a new low in the last year

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to arrive in Algiers for an official state visit, in what many see as a thawing in frosty relations between Algeria and the former colonial power, Qazet.az reports.

The three-day visit – Macron’s second to Algeria as head of state – aims to deepen the bilateral relationship between the two countries, a statement from France’s presidency said.

The statement added that the visit would “reinforce Franco-Algerian cooperation in the face of regional challenges and to continue the work of addressing the past”.

But in order to move forward, France must reckon with its brutal colonial past and occupation of Algeria, said Youcef Bouandel, a professor of political sciences at Qatar University.

“France’s official attitude is ‘there will be no repentance, there will be no apologies'”, Bouandel told Al Jazeera. “Indeed, Emmanuel Macron believes that ‘repentance is vanity’. The question that begs itself is why has France taken this attitude.”