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France has long tried to balance two contradictory roles with Algeria: a fair-weather friend and a former coloniser that never truly let go. However, as the right wing reshapes the political mainstream in Paris, Algerians in France say they are being scapegoated in the name of 'national security.'

On 8 March, Michel Onfray, a prominent French essayist, declared on CNEWS—a far-right-leaning channel often compared to America’s Fox News—that "the danger in France now is Algerian."

Once confined to the fringes, this rhetoric is now seeping into Matignon (France's 10 Downing Street), with supposedly centrist ministers inching ever closer to the right.

On 24 February, Prime Minister François Bayrou lashed out at Algerian authorities for their "unacceptable" refusal—ten times over—to issue a consular pass for the return of a 37-year-old Algerian national ordered to leave French territory.

Algeria has also refused to accept the return of two of its nationals arrested in France for inciting violence online.

In response, Bayrou, backed by his cabinet, is now threatening to scrap the 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement, which grants Algerians special immigration privileges, as retaliation for Algiers' reluctance to take back its nationals.

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[-] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 2 days ago

Is France still a racist colonizer? The answer might surprise you...

[-] freagle@lemmygrad.ml 11 points 2 days ago

US, UK, France. Italy, Germany, Finland... Who else is emerging fascist over there right now? I have to assume Belgium is not far behind. Spain? Portugal? Switzerland? Netherlands? Can we get a map going?

[-] cfgaussian@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 2 days ago

Germany, Finland, Netherlands for sure. Also Denmark, Sweden, Norway. Not to mention the Butthurt Belt states: Poland and the three Baltic villages. Romania too.

It's better to ask who in Europe is not fascist. The number of European countries that are not yet already there or well on their way can be counted on one hand.

[-] Bloomcole@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 days ago

Belgium definitely, only kept out of power with a cordon sanitaire but with a cleaned up version other nationalist party in power. Simply a matter of time before they have 50%+ and can take power.
NL worse, they are in power with the other parties fully cooperating and being just as awful in a race to the bottom.
Now the gestapo is coming to your house to 'have a talk' bcs they know you've been to an anti-genocide demonstration.
It goes fast.

[-] PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Poland too. PiS was always protofascist but the new liberal government elected last year moved analogically to most European liberal governments sharply to the right and overcame PiS from the right on warmongering and racism. Increase in austerity is not officially announced yet, but rumors says about incoming huge changes for worse.

[-] AbaixoDeCao@lemm.ee 8 points 2 days ago

Maybe Portugal, political instability and with populist Far Right growing blazing fast.

[-] wewbull@feddit.uk -1 points 2 days ago

I'm not sure France is moving right. It's moving away from the centre in both directions.

Similar in the UK

[-] idefix@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago

I still haven't been able to read Algeria's arguments behind their refusals to accept their condemned citizens back. Anyone's got it?

[-] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Not sure what the exact scenario is but forced deportation using double nationality is against international law.

Algeria is not responsible for what French-Algerians do in France. If France wants to jail people that is France's issue. Deportation for "online calls to violence" sounds very vague and overreaching as well.

[-] idefix@sh.itjust.works 5 points 2 days ago

They were not with double nationality but Algerians living in France as far as I know. You cannot deport a french citizen from France regardless of any additional nationality.

this post was submitted on 29 Mar 2025
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