Algeria’s President Abdulmadjid Tebboune has won a second term with 95% of the vote in the recent presidential election. The official results showed Tebboune avoiding a second round by securing a majority. However, the voter turnout was low, with only 48% of registered voters participating.
Tebboune, who is backed by the military, faced limited opposition from two other candidates, Abdelaali Hassani Cherif, a moderate Islamist, and Youcef Aouchiche, a moderate secularist. Both were seen as nominal challengers, running with the approval of Algeria’s political establishment.
Hassani Cherif’s campaign raised concerns about irregularities in the voting process. They claimed that some polling station officials were pressured to inflate vote counts and that there were issues with the delivery of vote-sorting records. However, it’s unclear whether these alleged violations would have changed the election’s outcome. The electoral commission, led by Mohammed Charfi, insisted that the election was conducted fairly and transparently.
Tebboune’s re-election suggests that Algeria will continue its current government policies, which include increased social spending funded by higher energy revenues. Since becoming president in 2019, Tebboune has raised unemployment benefits, pensions, and public housing programs, and he has promised to continue these efforts.
Tebboune first came to power in 2019 after widespread protests forced the resignation of his predecessor, Abdulaziz Bouteflika, who had been in office for 20 years. Although Tebboune was elected during a time of anti-establishment sentiment, voter turnout in 2019 was also low, at just 40%. The protests, known as the “hirak” movement, eventually subsided due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the economic reforms and social spending, Algeria’s economic challenges persist. Unemployment remains above 12%, and inflation is high, which may have contributed to the low voter turnout in this election.
On the international stage, Tebboune’s foreign policy has had mixed results. Although Algeria is a key gas supplier to Europe, its efforts to gain influence in the Western Sahara dispute and join the BRICS group have faced setbacks. Nonetheless, Algeria remains a significant military power in the region and maintains a balanced relationship between Western countries and Russia.
