The day before Giorgia Meloni’s visit, the Algerian leadership saw fit to send a clear message to the political dissidents and dissolved the country’s main human rights organization and one of the main spirits of the Hirak movement that opposed it. To President Abdelmadjid Tebboune since 2019. “We are paying the price for our commitment to democracy and freedom,” reads a note from Laddh, the Algerian Union for the Defense of Human Rights.
The dissolution of Laddh is the latest act of the Algerian government’s increasingly powerful dominance over civil society after the turbulent elections in 2019, when only 40% of the electorate went to vote. According to the Economist’s democracy index, in 2022, three years after Tebboune came to power, the North African country, like Russia, was seen as an authoritarian regime for all intents and purposes. And just like the regime of Vladimir Putin, the regime of the Algerian president is making its enormous energy reserves, especially gas, a tool to consolidate domestic power and strengthen its position on the international stage.
European attention was focused on Algeria in search of additional gas supplies, especially after the war in Ukraine. And Italy immediately took advantage of its good relations with the country to increase flow not only for its own energy mix, but also for the rest of the continent. Following Mario Draghi’s first post, which led to Algeria being the country’s leading gas supplier, Prime Minister Meloni sought to reaffirm Italy’s interest in Algeria by going directly to the Tebboune court last Monday.
ENI, “African Gazprom” Sonatrach (owner of the Augusta refinery in Sicily, among others): Sonatrach has been at the forefront of the Algerian missions with both Draghi and Meloni. Among other joint projects, Eni has a joint venture for the management of the natural gas pipeline Transmed, which passes through Tunisia to Sicily. And Transmed is playing a game that could make Italy the gas hub not only of Algeria but also of Africa: on the one hand, the Transmed maxi gas pipeline, which will connect Nigeria (another country in perfect conditions) -There is a Saharan. with Eni) with Algeria. On the other hand, there is the Galsi pipeline, which will extend the Transmed pipes as far as Sardinia, then sink again, to Tuscany, from where it is Italy’s hope. Europe was “orphaned” by Russia.
Many people like the project and see the involvement of other Italian energy magnates such as Edison, Enel and the Hera group. But the list of Italian interests in Algeria does not end with gas: other companies are starting to get involved in what could be the business of the future: green hydrogen produced by photovoltaic power plants. The potential of a country that has the tenth largest geographical area in the world and is mostly covered with deserts is huge. But between Italian dreams of glory and reality, there are a number of issues that can complicate the picture. For example, there are tensions between Algeria and Spain, fueled by tensions with neighboring Morocco. There are relations with France, which is trying to repair its former colony. And finally, there is the issue of human rights.
Laddh’s dissolution is not a good visiting card: if politics in Italy can be ignored, Europe won’t necessarily do so, especially after the Qatargate scandal. Frenchman Thierry Mariani, a member of the European Parliament and an ally of the League in Strasbourg, recently roared against the so-called double standards of the EU: “By tolerating anything from Algeria and systematically criticizing Morocco, the EU and Macron are strengthening the regime. Algeria and upsets all those who, along with Hirak’s militants, are calling for real change,” he wrote on Twitter. A non-isolated position.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
