French Far-Right’s Arrogance Unmasked: Marine Le Pen’s Hostile Rhetoric Against Algeria and Its Diaspora

BY: Dr. Hana Saada

Algiers, Algeria | February 1st, 2025 — In an incendiary and unabashedly racist diatribe, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has once again demonstrated her deeply entrenched colonial mindset by launching an unprovoked attack on Algeria and its diaspora. With the venom of a political figure steeped in extremist ideology, Le Pen vowed to adopt the Trump administration’s approach towards Colombia in dealing with Algeria—an inflammatory comparison that only further exposes her party’s historical amnesia and neo-imperialist aspirations.

Le Pen, notorious for her anti-Algerian stance, is attempting to stoke tensions between Algiers and Paris by instrumentalizing the Algerian community in France. In a televised interview with LCI, she brazenly accused Algeria of “refusing to respect international law,” twisting historical narratives to absolve France of its colonial crimes while simultaneously portraying Algeria as the antagonist. Her outlandish claims included the assertion that French colonization was not a tragedy but a “gift” that provided Algeria with “capital that should have allowed it to become the Norway of the Maghreb.”

Such statements are not merely provocative—they are steeped in supremacist rhetoric that seeks to whitewash France’s 132-year occupation of Algeria, an occupation marked by genocide, economic plundering, and unspeakable atrocities. By questioning why France continues to “show weakness toward nations that spit in our faces morning, noon, and night,” Le Pen deliberately incites hostility, lumping Algeria together with Rwanda and the Comoros in a bid to vilify formerly colonized nations that refuse to submit to French neocolonial influence.

Her comparison to Trump’s policy on Colombian migrants is fundamentally flawed. Unlike the United States, which has never subjected Colombia to over a century of colonial rule, France’s brutal subjugation of Algeria remains an open wound in the historical consciousness of both nations. The ramifications of this legacy persist to this day, yet Le Pen and her ilk persist in their refusal to acknowledge, let alone atone for, the egregious violations committed by their forebears.

Moreover, her remarks once again highlight the French far-right’s double standards when it comes to foreign policy. Le Pen’s National Rally has long aligned itself with Morocco in its unlawful claims over Western Sahara, mirroring France’s own colonial-era rhetoric by endorsing an occupation that directly contravenes international law. The hypocrisy is staggering: how can a political movement that preaches respect for sovereignty simultaneously champion illegitimate territorial expansion?

It is imperative that the French far-right understands that the deteriorating relations between Algiers and Paris are not due to the Algerian diaspora but rather to the racist, condescending policies perpetuated by individuals like Le Pen. Her rhetoric is reminiscent of the belligerence displayed by the French colonial administration and the Secret Army Organization (OAS) after the March 1962 ceasefire, when desperate remnants of French colonial rule sought to sabotage Algeria’s independence.

If France, under the far-right’s influence, continues down this path of hostility and contempt, it must be prepared for Algeria’s unwavering response. Algeria, a nation forged in resistance, does not bow to intimidation, nor does it tolerate attempts to undermine its sovereignty or dignity. Mutual respect and equality remain the only viable foundation for any future Franco-Algerian relations. Should the French far-right persist in its colonial nostalgia and supremacist posturing, it will find that Algeria—both its people and its leadership—is more than ready to meet arrogance with resolute defiance.

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