In a rare statement about relations with Algeria, French President Emmanuel Macron rejected the “iron fist” policy advocated by some in France.
Macron went so far as to describe these people as “crazy”, during a trip to the Ariage region, where he entered into a discussion with foreign doctors, including an Algerian doctor from the state of Oran.
Macron regretted the situation of foreign doctors in France, who do not benefit from the same rights compared to French doctors, even though they represent the majority of medical teams in France.
When he was asked about the importance of foreign doctors in the French health sector, by an Algerian doctor from the province of Oran, Macron said: “Tell this to the crazy people who want to break with Algeria.”
The French President did not mention any French personality among these “crazy people”, but according to the “BFMTV” website, which reported the news, the message is clearly directed to the majority of right-wing movements, which call for a tightening of the stance towards Algeria.
The news channel’s article mentioned Bruno Rotayo, who kept calling for the adoption of a “force” policy with Algeria, when he was Minister of the Interior.
Relations between the two countries have been witnessing a state of stagnation since July 2004, a period during which there were episodes of severe tension.
Since Laurent Nunez assumed the position of Minister of the Interior, succeeding Bruno Rutayo, and his recent visit to Algeria, and currently the visit of the head of the French Employers’ Organization, signs of cautious calm have appeared.
Returning to the issue of foreign doctors, Macron revealed that Algerians constitute 36.8 percent of foreign doctors in France.
