Abdelmadjid Tebboune

Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Arabic: عبد المجيد تبون, romanized: ʿAbd al-Majīd Tabbūn; born 17 November 1945) is an Algerian politician currently serving as the President of Algeria since December 2019 and as Minister of Defence.[1]

Abdelmadjid Tebboune
عبد المجيد تبون
Tebboune in 2023
8th President of Algeria
Assumed office
19 December 2019
Prime Minister
Preceded byAbdelkader Bensalah (Acting)
16th Prime Minister of Algeria
In office
25 May 2017  15 August 2017
PresidentAbdelaziz Bouteflika
Preceded byAbdelmalek Sellal
Succeeded byAhmed Ouyahia
Additional offices
Minister of Defence
Assumed office
19 December 2019
PresidentHimself
Prime Minister
Preceded byAhmed Gaid Salah (Acting)
Abdelaziz Bouteflika (de jure)
Minister of Commerce
Interim
In office
19 January 2017  15 August 2017
PresidentAbdelaziz Bouteflika
Preceded byBakhti Belaïb
Succeeded byAhmed Saci
Minister of Housing and Urban Development and the City
In office
3 September 2012  25 May 2017
PresidentAbdelaziz Bouteflika
Prime MinisterAbdelmalek Sellal
Preceded byNoureddine Moussa
Succeeded byYoucef Cherfa
Minister of Housing and Urban Development
In office
31 May 2001  4 June 2002
PresidentAbdelaziz Bouteflika
Prime MinisterAli Benflis
Preceded byAbdellah Bounekraf
Succeeded byMohamed Nadir Hamimid
Minister Delegate for Local Communities
In office
26 June 2000  31 May 2001
PresidentAbdelaziz Bouteflika
Prime MinisterAli Benflis
Preceded byNoureddine Kasdali
Succeeded byDahou Ould Kablia
Minister of Communication and Culture
In office
23 December 1999  26 June 2000
PresidentAbdelaziz Bouteflika
Prime MinisterAhmed Benbitour
Preceded byAbdelaziz Rahabi
Succeeded byMahieddine Amimour
Minister Delegate for Local Communities
In office
18 June 1991  22 February 1992
President
Prime MinisterSid Ahmed Ghozali
Preceded byBenali Henni
Succeeded byAhmed Noui (Secretary of State)
Wali of Tizi Ouzou
(president of the High State Committee)
In office
26 July 1989  18 June 1991
Preceded byAhmed El Ghazi
Succeeded byMostefa Benmansour
Wali of Tiaret
In office
13 May 1984  10 July 1989
Preceded byMohamed Seghir Hamrouchi
Succeeded byRabah Boubertakh
Wali of Adrar
In office
30 January 1983  13 May 1984
Preceded byAbdelkrim Bouderghouma
Succeeded byAbdelmalek Sellal
Personal details
Born (1945-11-17) 17 November 1945
Mécheria, Naâma, Algeria
Political partyNational Liberation Front (1991-2019)
Spouse
Fatima Zohra Bella
(m. 1980)
EducationNational School of Administration

He took over the power from former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and former Acting Head of State Abdelkader Bensalah. Previously, he was Prime Minister of Algeria from May 2017 to August 2017. In addition, he was also Minister of Housing[2] from 2001 to 2002 for a year and again from 2012 to 2017 for 5 years.[3]

Early life and education

Abdelmadjid Tebboune was born on 17 November 1945 in Mécheria,[4] in the current Naâma Province, in Algeria, back then Aïn-Sefra territory. He comes from a family from the commune of Boussemghoun, currently in El Bayadh Province, located in the region of the High Plains of southwest Algeria.[5] His father was a sheikh member of the Association of Algerian Muslim Ulema (and Abdelmadjid studied in a school that was controlled by the Association of Ulema in Sidi Bel Abbes before the start of Algerian War between 1953 and 1954).[6] and also a soldier. [7] He is married to Fatima Zohra Bella,[8] and has five children: Saloua, Maha, Salaheddine Ilyes, Mohamed and Khaled.[9] He graduated from the National School of Administration on 29 July 1969.[10]

Political career

Tebboune was Minister-Delegate for Local Government from 1991 to 1992, during the last months of Chadli Benjedid's presidency. Later, under President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, he served in the government as Minister of Communication and Culture from 1999 to 2000 and then as Minister-Delegate for Local Government from 2000 to 2001. He was the Minister of Housing and Urban Planning from 2001 to 2002. Ten years later, in 2012, he returned to the post of Minister of Housing in the government of Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal. He was also found in the Panama Papers.[3]

Following the May 2017 parliamentary election, President Bouteflika appointed Tebboune to succeed Sellal as Prime Minister on 24 May 2017. The appointment of Tebboune was considered surprising by Algerian political elites, who had expected Sellal to be reappointed.[3] The new government headed by Tebboune was appointed on 25 May.[11]

Tebboune served as Prime Minister for less than three months. Bouteflika dismissed him and appointed Ahmed Ouyahia to succeed him on 15 August 2017;[12] Ouyahia took office the next day.[13]

On 12 December 2019, Tebboune was elected president following the 2019 Algerian presidential election, after taking 58% from a turnout of less than 40% the voters, against candidates from both main parties (the National Liberation Front and the Democratic National Rally).[14][15] On 19 December, he assumed office and received the National Order of Merit from the acting President Abdelkader Bensalah.[16]

Presidency

On the eve of the first anniversary of the Hirak Movement, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced in a statement to the Algerian national media that 22 February would be declared the Algerian "National Day of Fraternity and Cohesion Between The People and Its Army For Democracy."[17] In the same statement, Tebboune spoke in favor of the Hirak Movement, saying that "the blessed Hirak has preserved the country from a total collapse" and that he had "made a personal commitment to carry out all of the [movement's] demands."[17] On 21 and 22 February 2020, masses of demonstrators (with turnout comparable to well-established Algerian holidays like the Algerian Day of Independence) gathered to honor the anniversary of the Hirak Movement and the newly established national day.[18][19]

In an effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, Tebboune announced on 17 March 2020 that "marches and rallies, whatever their motives" would be prohibited.[20] After protestors and journalists were arrested for participating in such marches, Tebboune faced accusations of attempting to "silence Algerians."[21] Notably, the government's actions were condemned by Amnesty International, which said in a statement that "when all eyes [...] are on the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Algerian authorities are devoting time to speeding up the prosecution and trial of activists, journalists, and supporters of the Hirak movement."[22] CNLD estimated that around 70 prisoners of conscience were imprisoned by 2 July 2020 and that several of the imprisoned were arrested for Facebook posts.[23]

Tebboune meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on 30 March 2022

On 28 December 2019, the then-recently inaugurated President Tebboune met with Ahmed Benbitour, the former Algerian Head of Government, with whom he discussed the "foundations of the new Republic."[24]

On 8 January 2020, Tebboune established a "commission of experts" composed of 17 members (a majority of which were professors of constitutional law) responsible for examining the previous constitution and making any necessary revisions.[25] Led by Ahmed Laraba, the commission was required to submit its proposals to Tebboune directly within the following two months.[25][26] In a letter to Laraba on the same day, Tebboune outlined seven axes around which the commission should focus its discussion.[27] These areas of focus included strengthening citizens' rights, combatting corruption, consolidating the balance of powers in the Algerian government, increasing the oversight powers of parliament, promoting the independence of the judiciary, furthering citizens' equality under the law, and constitutionalizing elections.[27] Tebboune's letter also included a call for an "immutable and intangible" two-term limit to anyone serving as president — a major point of contention in the initial Hirak Movement protests, which were spurred by former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika's announced intention to run for a fifth term.[27]

Tebboune at the Libya Summit in Berlin (January 19, 2020).

In January 2020, Tebboune also instructed Prime Minister Djerad to prepare a bill against all forms of racism, regionalism and hate speech[28] based on political convictions, religion, belief or race.[29]

The preliminary draft revision of the constitution was publicly published on 7 May 2020, but the Laraba Commission (as the "commission of experts" came to be known) was open to additional proposals from the public until 20 June.[30] By 3 June, the commission had received an estimated 1,200 additional public proposals.[30] After all revisions were considered by the Laraba Commission, the draft was introduced to the Cabinet of Algeria (Council of Ministers).[30]

On 4 July 2020, Tebboune announced that the referendum would occur in September or October 2020.[31]

On 24 August 2020, the date for the referendum was set for 1 November, the anniversary of the start of Algeria's war of independence.[32]

The revised constitution was adopted in the Council of Ministers on 6 September,[33] in the People's National Assembly on 10 September, and Council of the Nation on 12 September, but its implementation was contingent on the results of the 1 November referendum.[34][35]

In October 2020, Tebboune was tested positive for COVID-19 and flew to Germany for treatment. Meanwhile, prime minister Abdelaziz Djerad assumed his tasks.[36] On 29 December 2020, Tebboune resumed his duties.[37]

The constitutional changes were approved on the 1 November 2020 referendum, with 66.68% of voters participating in favour of the changes.

On 10 January 2021, Tebboune flew back to Germany for treatment of complications in his foot resulting from the COVID-19 infection.[38] On 12 February 2021, he returned to Algeria.[39]

On 16 February 2021 mass protests and a wave of nationwide rallies and peaceful demonstrations against the government of Abdelmadjid Tebboune began. On 18 February 2021, Tebboune announced changes to the cabinet. He dismissed the Minister of Energy, the Minister of Industry, and the Minister of Water Resources among others. He also dissolved the lower house of the Algerian Parliament and called early legislative elections within six months.[40][41]

In July 2021, Tebboune formed a new government with Ayman Benabderrahmane as Prime Minister.[42]

On 28 July 2021, Tebboune stated that Algeria offers Libya "total assistance," as he was hosting Mohammad Younes el-Menfi, the president of Libya's Presidency Council.[43]

Tebboune with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, 11 April 2022

On 8 December 2021, French minister of foreign affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian and Abdelmadjid Tebboune held a meeting. They discussed bilateral relations and peace in Libya and Mali.[44]

On 24 January 2022, Tebboune visited Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo. They discussed bilateral relations,[45] the situation in Libya after the indefinite postponement of elections,[46][47] the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and the potential return of Syria to the Arab League.[48] It was the first official visit of an Algerian president to Cairo since 2008.[49]

On 15 February 2022, Tebboune announced that the government will introduce unemployment benefits for young adults, with the unemployment rate in the country being over 15% . The president announced that payments to job hunters aged 19 to 40 will begin in March, with the goal of preserving "young people's dignity."[50]

Tebboune with Vladimir Putin's close associate Vyacheslav Volodin in Moscow, Russia on 14 June 2023

On 26 May 2022, during a state visit to Rome, Tebboune agreed to increase gas supply for Italy and Europe after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[51][52] On 18 July 2022, Tebboune signed an energy contract worth €4 billion for additional gas supply to Italy with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi in Algiers, making Algeria Italy's biggest gas supplier.[53][54] In September 2022, Tebboune announced a further diversification of Algeria’s economy to increase non-hydrocarbon exports.[55] Tebboune stated that "the goal we set is to achieve exports from outside oil and gas at $7 billion for the current year". Algeria’s non-hydrocarbon exports reached US$5 billion in 2021.[56]

On 18 December 2022, Tebboune met with French Minister of Interior Gerald Darmanin in Algiers.[57][58] They discussed bilateral relations, migration, security, and ended the visa issue with France which had limited the number of visas issued to Algerians since September 2021.[59][60]

On 13 June 2023, Tebboune started a three-day visit to Russia.[61] During a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, they pledged to deepen the "strategic partnership" between Russia and Algeria.[62]

State visits

# Date Country Head of State during the visit
1 Feb 22, 2020[63] Kuwait Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah
2 Feb 26, 2020[64] Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
3 Dec 14, 2021[65] Tunisia Kais Saied
4 Jan 24, 2022[66] Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
5 Feb 19, 2022[67] Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
6 May 15, 2022[68] Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
7 May 25, 2022[69] Italy Sergio Mattarella
8 May 24, 2023[70] Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
9 Jun 13, 2023[71] Russia Vladimir Putin

Honours

National honours

Foreign honours

Abdelmadjid Tebboune receiving from the President Sergio Mattarella the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Algiers, 3 November 2021).

See also

References

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