The Algeria Press Service (APS) has issued a scathing rebuke of the French public media, accusing it of a "systematic disinformation campaign" and a "colonialist obsession" ahead of a controversial new television broadcast.
The diplomatic friction centers on an upcoming episode of the French investigative program Complément d'Enquête, titled "Rumors and Dirty Tricks: The Secret War Between France and Algeria." In a strongly worded statement released on Friday, January 23, 2026, the state-run Algerian news agency described the title as "propaganda" and "a promise of a scandal" designed to serve the interests of the French far-right.
Accusations of "Professional Bankruptcy" The APS statement targeted France Télévisions, asserting that the public broadcaster has abandoned journalistic standards in favor of "rotten extremist narratives." The agency claimed the program is not a work of balanced journalism but rather a platform for those who have made "hatred of Algeria their personal brand and a cheap ideological trade."
"The Algerian obsession among a segment of the French political class has reached the point of ridicule," the agency stated. It specifically called out a former French diplomat—whom it described as "fake and obsessed"—claiming he has repeatedly tried to destabilize Algeria to gain domestic fame in France. "In France, the louder the tone of hatred toward Algeria, the greater the reward," the APS noted.
Colonial Nostalgia vs. Modern Reality The Algerian agency questioned the motives behind the broadcast, asking whether the French public media is simply chasing viewer ratings at the expense of professional ethics, or if it reflects a "deeper French crisis."
"Does this reflect a country unable to look at Algeria outside the lens of hatred, colonial nostalgia, and internal political obsessions?" the agency asked. It concluded that by using Algeria as a scapegoat to address its own internal identity crises, French public media is exposing an "intellectual, editorial, and moral poverty" that is unfit for an institution funded by taxpayers.
This latest exchange highlights the persistent and deep-seated tensions between Algiers and Paris, as both nations continue to struggle with their complex shared history and evolving geopolitical roles.
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