European Parliament regulation exploits collective outrage

Algeria | Diplomatic tension has returned to the Algeria-Brussels line, after the European deputies, by a unanimous vote of more than 600 votes, last Saturday issued a list strongly condemning the “deterioration of human rights” in the country. This “urgent, non-binding list”, according to its name, included a detailed account of the issues of rights and freedoms since the launch of the popular movement in February 2019, but went further to delve into the political crisis and propose solutions to the Algerian authorities, and intervene even in the situation of the military establishment. These are sensitive issues of sovereignty that were not assumed by the official authority and the supporting parties that surround it, while the political opposition was amazed and warned of their content.

In the text of the statute, the European representatives make an explicit call to the executive bodies of the European Union, to follow up on the cases of “prisoners of conscience” in Algeria and to return reports on the evolution of the situation, which are considered an attempt to impose international human rights monitoring in Algeria. The regulation obliges the Algerian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release journalist Khaled Dararni and all those arrested and accused of exercising their right to freedom of expression, whether online or offline. However, what attracted the most attention, apart from the cases of prisoners of conscience who enjoy broad solidarity in Algeria, is that the list contains a recommendation with the number 14, in which the Algerian authorities are urged to “ guarantee full accountability and civil and democratic control of the armed forces, and their effective subordination to a legally constituted civil authority. And ensure that the role of the army is adequately defined in the constitution, “so that it is” limited to matters of national defense. ”
Regardless of the position of some in Algeria regarding the interference of the army in politics, this point raises the question, since it is a sovereign Algerian matter, in which no foreign party can impose a conception in this regard. This is what led the Algerian government spokesman, Ammar Belhimer, to consider that the objective is the army, according to which it is intended to “remove it from its natural historical role in the protection of the nation-state, which is the sole guarantor of the national sovereignty, prosperity and social justice “. In addition to the above, the official spokesman was surprised by the call of the list to involve Berbers or Berbers in the conduct of public affairs, a matter that is not discussed in Algeria, warning of “attempts to impart ethnicity to the political life, and even tribalism, to Algerian identity. ”

The government denounced “the spiteful tone that is tainted by the condescending spirit of this text.”

Likewise, the recommendation of the European Parliament to “create a free civil space that allows political dialogue for a political transition” has raised the same controversy, after some politicians considered it an attempt to impose an external agenda on the country. In this context, the National Liberation Front, which has a parliamentary majority, saw that “this blatant intervention aims to influence the course of the reforms that the Algerian State undertakes with all sovereignty.” The “National Democratic Rally” party, in turn, questioned the antecedents associated with the issuance of this list in terms of opportunity and nature of employment, considering that the content of the list denotes “without any doubt irresponsible and innocent political behavior” . As for the “reform” movement, which supports President Abdel Majid Tebboune, he has assessed that “the content of the list reveals its innocent objectives at this stage, which is witnessing worrying regional and international developments.”
On the opposition side, the readings varied with respect to what was issued by the European Parliament, since Abdel Razzaq Maqri, head of the “Movement Society for Peace”, the largest Islamic movement, said that he strongly condemns this list, but at the At the same time, he pointed out that “there is no solution to protect the country from Risks, threats and blackmail to hypocritical western institutions only by making a true democracy in our hands.” As for Louisa Hanoune, leader of the Workers’ Party (extreme left), presented a different view of the list, as it was seen as serving the Algerian authority, as part of what it described as a “role-play policy to abort the Algerian revolution.” Hanoun refers to the French president’s statements in which he strongly praised President Tebboune, who is still in Germany for treatment, and his political reforms, which completely contradicts the content of l European regulation.
Officially, the Algerian Foreign Ministry responded with very angry language, saying that it “denies with the utmost contempt the set of false accusations circulating in the corridors of the European Parliament.” And threatening that this document “will only be detrimental to Algeria’s relations with its European partners”, and denounced what he described as “the malevolent tone that is tainted by the spirit of pride of this text, which shows the deep hostility extended to the colonial era that some European circles have towards the Algerian people and their sovereign options “. The statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was supported by the response of the government spokesperson, who considered that the background of the European regulation, except for the issue of the army, is the annoyance by the desire of Algeria to re-evaluate the association agreement, which described as an “ empty deal ”, and its refusal to match the price of gas it sells to Europe with the price of oil, as well as its rejection. Importing old diesel cars from Europe for their environmental pollution, and finally their rejection of the wave of Arab normalization with the Zionist state, which exposes them to attack from all sides.
However, all this condemnation did not prevent the appearance of sympathizers from the European Parliament’s list, especially by some human rights organizations that considered in a statement this step “necessary and timely, to face the escalation of repression against civil society , peaceful activists, artists and journalists in Algeria, and the campaign against Judicial Independence “. The signatory organizations considered that” there is an urgent need for public and collective action by the international community to protect the rights and freedoms of Algerian citizens, including their right to freely participate in the public life of their country, “amid what they described as” the rapid deterioration and restrictions on civil society and freedoms. “the basics.”

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