Overview

• Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed his commitment to renegotiating, rather than revoking, the 1968 France-Algeria migration accords, which grant Algerians unique residency and work rights in France.
• Macron's position contrasts sharply with calls from Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau and Prime Minister François Bayrou to take a firmer stance, including potentially terminating the agreement.
• Critics, including opposition leaders and some government members, accuse Macron of prioritizing diplomacy with Algeria over addressing domestic security and immigration concerns.
• The debate has intensified following an alleged terrorist attack in Mulhouse involving an Algerian national under an expulsion order, whose repatriation was blocked by Algeria's refusal to issue necessary documents.
• The controversy underscores broader divisions within Macron's government and the political right, as Laurent Wauquiez uses the issue to bolster his bid for leadership of the Les Républicains party.