Political Deadlock Over Budget and Franco-Algerian Agreement Intensifies in French Assembly

Political tensions in the French National Assembly are escalating as deputies face a deadlock over the 2026 budget and the Franco-Algerian agreement. On November 3, 2025, UDR deputy Hanane Mansouri publicly supported the denunciation of the 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement, provoking a heated exchange when LFI member Abdelkader Lahmar criticized her Moroccan heritage. This controversy underscored deep divisions within the Assembly.

Amidst this, the Rassemblement National (RN) capitalized on the turmoil by orchestrating a parliamentary initiative day to assert influence. They challenged both Les Républicains (LR) and Macronist parties to account for their stances on immigration and foreign policy, emphasizing the RN’s growing parliamentary clout. A surprising alliance emerged between the RN, the Socialist Party (PS), and MoDem, leading to a legislative victory that broadened the scope of the Impôt sur la fortune immobilière (IFI) to include financial assets but exempted primary residences—an RN priority.

These developments have compounded complications for President Emmanuel Macron’s government, particularly after Bruno Retailleau’s departure. The Assembly’s vote against maintaining the Franco-Algerian agreement threatens to derail hopes for renewed diplomatic dialogue between France and Algeria. The RN’s legislative success and the fractured opposition signal a challenging political environment, which some deputies fear could result in a "dead-born" budget with broader implications for Franco-Algerian relations.