The political class is outraged by the arrest of the writer Boualem Sansal

L’The matter is serious enough for a large number of our political leaders to take it up. Boualem Sansal, a Franco-Algerian writer who loves freedom, is suddenly deprived of it. Although we had not heard from him for several days, Marianne revealed that he had been arrested at Algiers airport on Saturday November 16. The information has since been confirmed and we now know that he was imprisoned. This arrest, which marks a new stage in the deterioration of relations between Paris and Algiers, outraged the entire political spectrum, with the exception of part of the left, which is silent on the subject. If Emmanuel Macron has not yet officially reacted, the Élysée has indicated that the President of the Republic is “very worried and is monitoring the situation carefully”.

Near the Point, François Hollande's team indicates that the former president is also worried about having no news of this great Algerian writer. The former head of state asks the authorities to give his family and friends all the information needed to find him as quickly as possible. Other voices are being heard on the left. “We are waiting for news of Boualem Sansal and his release,” socialist deputy Jérôme Guedj reacted on X (formerly Twitter). A free voice cannot be muzzled. » Laurence Rossignol, socialist senator, recalls that this is one of our nationals and asks France to “do everything possible to ensure that he is released without delay”, quoting the Minister of Affairs in his tweet foreigners, Jean-Noël Barrot.

The indignation aroused by this imprisonment goes beyond partisan divisions. Thus Édouard Philippe said he was “deeply worried” about the disappearance of the writer. “A French-language engineer and writer, he embodies everything we cherish: the call for reason, freedom and humanism against censorship, corruption and Islamism. With immense courage and immense talent, Boualem Sansal denounces the flaws and abuses of unfair powers,” greets the former Prime Minister on X.

“Completely bankrupt, the Algerian regime only thinks about suppressing dissident voices,” says François-Xavier Bellamy, leader of the Republicans in the European Parliament. Worried that we want to “make Boualem Sansal disappear”, the former head of the LR list in the European elections believes that “our country must do everything to protect him”. “France must use all means to free Boualem Sansal, also a French citizen, and put pressure on the Algerian regime,” demands the mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard, who sends all his support to “this humanist”. Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France region, is moved by the arrest of a “courageous writer, enlightened whistleblower”.

The silence of part of the left

Praising “an authentic freedom fighter”, Éric Zemmour assures for his part that “the French government must demand his immediate release”. “Like the worst dictatorships, Algeria locks up its best minds. Boualem Sansal is a courageous intellectual, critic of the regime and lucid about Islam. He was therefore censored, then threatened. Now stopped. And tomorrow? France must act to obtain his release,” says MEP Sarah Knafo.

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This is also what Marine Le Pen asks on her X account. “The French writer and citizen Boualem Sansal no longer gives any sign of life. This freedom fighter and courageous opponent of Islamism was reportedly arrested by the Algerian regime. This is an unacceptable situation. The French government must act to obtain his immediate release,” wrote the president of the RN group to the National Assembly.

The left, with the notable exception of the PS, nevertheless remains quite silent on the subject. No figure from the New Popular Front publicly reacted Thursday evening: neither Marine Tondelier, nor Fabien Roussel, nor François Ruffin. Jean-Luc Mélenchon didn't say a word about it either.