The risks of playing for time in Algeria: internal strife over key choices after the presidential election

Abstract: With the re-election of the seriously ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Algeria’s power elites have gained time to reach agreement over the general outline of the post-Bouteflika era. Despite rising fears within the regime of social unrest in the absence of fundamental reforms, precious few among the political, military and business elites are in fact willing to risk reforms that would threaten their sinecures and status. Struc-tural factors are also obstacles to change. However, the strategy of playing for time without tackling the issue of substantial reforms is probably riskier in the long term than a policy that allows for such reforms. Reform deadlocks in the strategic oil and gas sector, socioeconomic and ethnic conflicts and regional security challenges demand that key choices be made soon. Europe may not have much influence over Algeria’s internal decision-making processes, but a purely stability-orientated policy aligned with European security and energy interests is

Object Details

• Alternative title: Riskantes Spielen auf Zeit in Algerien: innenpolitisches Ringen um zentrale Weichenstellungen nach der Präsidentenwahl
• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource, 8 S.
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Veröffentlichungsversion ; begutachtet

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: SWP Comment ; Bd. 23/2014

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Politik

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Berlin
• (when): 2014
• Creator: Werenfels, Isabelle
• Contributor: Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik -SWP- Deutsches Institut für Internationale Politik und Sicherheit

Further information

• URN: urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-398424
• Rights: Open Access unbekannt; Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 25.03.2025, 1:21 PM CET