The latest report aired by Complément d’enquête on France 2 can hardly be described as neutral journalism. Presented under the guise of investigative reporting, it subtly disseminates suspicion toward a specific category of French elected officials—those holding dual French-Algerian nationality—by insinuating, without concrete evidence, the existence of divided loyalties or opaque networks of influence.
The timing of the broadcast, less than two months before the municipal elections, cannot be dissociated from the French domestic political context. It transforms journalism from a tool of inquiry into an indirect instrument of political influence. The implicit message conveyed to viewers is unmistakable: being Franco-Algerian is equated with being suspect. Such stigmatization is not only unjust; it is dangerous, as it undermines democratic coexistence by portraying a segment of citizens as inherently incompatible with the Republic.
A One-Sided Investigation
What stands out most in this report is the striking asymmetry in its treatment. While France 2 multiplies insinuations against Franco-Algerian elected officials, it remains conspicuously silent on Moroccan influence operations in France—despite the fact that these practices are well documented. Moroccan consulates have been known to issue explicit voting instructions to French citizens of Moroccan origin, sometimes in a structured and organized manner, shaping electoral behavior. No comparable practices exist on the Algerian side.
This media blindness is far from neutral. It sends a troubling implicit signal: certain foreign influences are tolerated, while others are deemed suspicious—not on the basis of factual evidence, but seemingly according to origin and political convenience.
Double Standards and the Erosion of Republican Trust
By going beyond its duty to inform, the France 2 report fosters a climate of suspicion, suggesting that dual nationality may compromise the civic loyalty of French officials. In doing so, public broadcasting aligns—consciously or not—with narratives long promoted by the far right, reinforcing prejudice and deepening societal divisions instead of providing the balanced scrutiny expected of a public service institution.
The paradox is evident. Communities such as Franco-Moroccans have been subject to documented institutional pressure from consular authorities, yet this has not prompted serious investigative journalism. Conversely, Franco-Algerians are frequently exposed to generalized suspicion, as though their loyalty to the Republic must constantly be proven.
It is also crucial to recall that Algeria has never been implicated in corruption scandals involving European or French elected officials. By contrast, judicial and parliamentary investigations related to the so-called “MoroccoGate” affair have exposed Moroccan influence networks within European institutions, notably in Belgium and the Netherlands. In France, several political figures of Moroccan origin openly proclaim their political allegiance to Morocco without attracting comparable media scrutiny or investigative attention from France 2.
This imbalance raises fundamental questions about objectivity and reveals a selective targeting of certain communities—at the expense of national cohesion and citizens’ trust in public institutions.
Political Backdrop and Directed Media Campaigns
In this context, the Algerian Press Service (APS) has reported the direct involvement of France’s current Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, in the hostile media campaign against Algeria. According to an investigation broadcast by Algerian Television under the title “France – Media and Propaganda”, Dati is identified as one of the officials directly responsible for enabling the dissemination, via France 2, of a so-called investigation rife with false allegations, distortions, and openly hostile narratives toward Algeria.
The investigation portrays this episode as part of a broader instrumentalization of French public media for internal political agendas, fueled by dubious financial networks and ideological hostilities aimed at undermining Algeria’s sovereignty and independent stance. These reports also recall that Rachida Dati herself faces serious allegations of corruption and misuse of public funds dating back to her tenure as Minister of Justice, casting further doubt on the credibility of her political and media role.
Despite this controversial profile, segments of the French far right continue to promote her as a central figure in a coordinated effort to sabotage any prospect of détente between France and Algeria.
Public Media and Republican Responsibility
Statements by prominent French figures, including Ségolène Royal, along with testimonies from historian Benjamin Stora, have shed light on the behind-the-scenes dynamics of this contentious report. They point to the growing influence of far-right lobbies within key French institutions, particularly media outlets, a trend that intensified during periods when figures such as Retailleau held strategic positions within the Ministry of the Interior.
In this environment, France 2 bears a moral and republican responsibility. As a public broadcaster, its mission is not to stigmatize citizens or amplify suspicion, but to investigate all forms of foreign interference with equal rigor and without selective bias.
On the eve of municipal elections, this report should not be seen merely as an editorial lapse, but as a divisive political instrument that risks durably weakening the trust of dual-national citizens in their institutions.
The French Republic cannot afford to allow targeted suspicion to become a weapon against some of its own children. Algeria, for its part, has made clear that it will respond in the manner of a state—calmly, responsibly, and with full awareness—rather than through rhetoric fueled by resentment or personal animosity.
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