Abdelmadjid Tebboune (Arabic:عَبد الْمَجِيْد تَبُّون,romanized: ʿAbd al-Majīd Tabbūn; born 17 November 1945) is an Algerian politician currently serving as thepresident of Algeria since December 2019 and asminister of defence.[1]
Abdelmadjid Tebboune was born on 17 November 1945 inMécheria,[4] in the currentNaâma Province, in Algeria, back thenAïn-Sefra territory. He comes from a family from the commune ofBoussemghoun, currently inEl Bayadh Province, located in the region of theHigh Plains of southwest Algeria.[5] His father was a sheikh member of theAssociation 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 ofAlgerian 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 theNational School of Administration on 29 July 1969.[10]
Tebboune was Minister-Delegate for Local Government from 1991 to 1992, during the last months ofChadli Benjedid's presidency. Later, under PresidentAbdelaziz 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 MinisterAbdelmalek Sellal. He was also found in thePanama Papers.[3]
Following theMay 2017 parliamentary election, President Bouteflika appointed Tebboune to succeed Sellal as prime minister on 24 May 2017. The appointment of Tebboune surprised 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 appointedAhmed Ouyahia to succeed him on 15 August 2017;[12] Ouyahia took office the next day.[13]
On the eve of the first anniversary of theHirak Movement, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced in a statement to theAlgerian 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 theAlgerian 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 theCOVID-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] The government's actions were condemned by Amnesty International, which said in a statement that "when all eyes [...] are on themanagement 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 forFacebook posts.[23]
Tebboune meets with U.S. Secretary of StateAntony Blinken on 30 March 2022
On 28 December 2019, the then-recently inaugurated President Tebboune met withAhmed Benbitour, the formerAlgerian 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 ofconstitutional law) responsible for examining the previous constitution and making any necessary revisions.[25] Led byAhmed 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, combattingcorruption, consolidating thebalance of powers in the Algerian government, increasing theoversight powers ofparliament, promoting the independence of thejudiciary, furthering citizens' equality under the law, and constitutionalizingelections.[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 inBerlin (January 19, 2020).
In January 2020, Tebboune also instructed Prime Minister Djerad to prepare a bill against all forms ofracism, regionalism andhate 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 the Laraba Commission considered all revisions, the draft was introduced to theCabinet 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 ofAlgeria's war of independence.[32]
In October 2020, Tebboune tested positive forCOVID-19 and flew toGermany for treatment. Meanwhile, Prime MinisterAbdelaziz Djerad assumed his tasks.[36] On 29 December 2020, Tebboune resumed his duties.[37]
The constitutional changes were approved onthe 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 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] On 8 December 2021, French minister of foreign affairsJean-Yves Le Drian and Abdelmadjid Tebboune held a meeting. They discussed bilateral relations and peace inLibya andMali.[44]
Tebboune with Italian Prime MinisterMario Draghi, 11 April 2022
On 15 February 2022, Tebboune announced that the government would introduce unemployment benefits for young adults, with the unemployment rate in the country over 15%. The president announced that payments to job hunters aged 19 to 40 will begin in March to preserve "young people's dignity."[50]
On 26 May 2022, during a state visit toRome, Tebboune agreed to increasegas supply for Italy and Europe after theRussian invasion of Ukraine.[51][52] On 18 July 2022, Tebboune signed an energy contract worth €4 billion for additional gas supply to Italy withItalian Prime MinisterMario 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 withFrench Minister of InteriorGerald Darmanin inAlgiers.[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]
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