Ahmed Bensaada, Sunday, July 7, 2024 12:36
Each Algerian presidential election offers to hack journalists, troubadour analysts, and other Professor Nimbus types a grand circus tent with a bearded lady, fire-breather, and human cannonball.
In this context, we remember the “eminent” American professor Robert Zaretsky who, barely two weeks before the 2019 Algerian presidential elections, in the midst of the Hirak movement, uttered the greatest idiocy ever stated in the political realm: “The failure of the [Algerian presidential] election will be a democratic success”[1]. And this, in the famous magazine “Foreign Affairs”! It shows how low the intellectual level of Western do-gooders can be. Even when the article is pure journalistic mercenary work, can’t a little effort be made to avoid being the laughing stock of the brotherhood of paid analysts? Isn’t that right, Bob?
We thought we had hit rock bottom with “Bob the fake democrat,” but no, not at all. Five years later, another member of this brotherhood, a certain Jean-Pierre Sereni, has taken up the mantle to try to win, at once, the Nobel Prize for “journalistic trash,” the Guinness of “Fake News,” and the Goncourt for gratuitous, petty, and despicable insult. All this nauseating mishmash of journalistic excretions was kneaded into an article with a provocative title: “Presidential Election in Algeria: Full Speed Ahead into Stagnation”[2].
Yet, Jean-Pierre Sereni does not shy away from flaunting his flashy CV, which he pompously pins on his chest like a fake medal. Indeed, described as a “specialist of the Maghreb,” he presents himself as “former director of the Nouvel Économiste and ex-editor-in-chief of l’Express,” no less. This actually shows the advanced level of decay reached by French journalism.
Personal Attacks
The first thing that comes to mind when reading Sereni’s “article” is the enormous amount of crude, offensive, and insolent adjectives he used to insult the Algerian President: not a single respectful or neutral word. This abundance of derogatory epithets toward the country’s chief magistrate denotes both a crass lack of professionalism and a visceral hatred for Algeria and its institutions. Let it be known: ad personam attacks are the hallmark of people whose analysis is weak and devoid of solid argumentation, despicable individuals who confuse journalism with vulgar gossip. Especially when they are uttered by a so-called “director” of some obscure French rag who is supposed to know the ethics of the profession!
But upon closer inspection, one finds a certain similarity between Sereni’s vile language and that of some pathetic “offshore opponents” whose real mission is to “springify” Algeria. TV channels in the colors of the dark decade, YouTubers who are experts in chatter, and other indescribable fauna squatting on social media. Settled in Europe, they have become masters in the use of name-calling when it comes to describing Algeria and its institutions. True “ornithologists” of slander, mediocrity, and imposture, protected and used by certain governments under the false pretext of “freedom of expression.” Indeed, these same countries have recently shown us how sensitive they are to this principle by forcefully prosecuting anyone who dares to publicly display any support for Palestine or oppose the barbaric genocide perpetrated by the Hebrew state against Palestinian civilians.
Would Sereni have something to say about this, or is France not within his scope of expertise?
And are these similarities the result of coincidence or collusion between Sereni and the “offshore opponents,” some of whom claim membership in groups classified as “terrorists” by the Algerian government?
Fact-Checking
Sereni’s “article” is so riddled with falsehoods, tendentious information, and lies by omission that it would be tedious to respond exhaustively. However, we will address a few of them to illustrate our point.
“[…] thousands of social housing units as ugly as they are dilapidated […]”
Sereni admits that social housing has been built in Algeria, but he downplays its importance by deliberately adding demeaning adjectives. If he had an ounce of honesty, he would have praised the various colossal housing construction programs accessible to all Algerians. It is not a matter of building thousands, but hundreds of thousands of housing units in all Algerian cities, which have eradicated thousands of slums “as ugly as they are dilapidated” that disfigured the cities. Just last July 5, on the anniversary of Algeria’s independence, more than 250,000 homes were distributed to Algerian citizens[3].
Sereni must surely know that in countries as wealthy as the G7 nations, such as France or Canada, a severe housing crisis is raging.
According to Le Monde, in France (Sereni’s own country), “2.6 million people were on the waiting list for social housing in 2023, a record”[4].
In Canada, “to restore affordability by 2030, the country needs 3.5 million more homes than would be built at the current rate”[5].
According to the UN, 1.6 billion people live in inadequate or unsafe housing worldwide, a figure expected to double by 2050[6].
It is interesting to note that this stupid criticism of social housing construction has also been echoed by some “offshore opponents”[7]. So, the convergence of mission between Sereni and these individuals is becoming increasingly clear.
Very few countries worldwide have the means and, more importantly, the political will to invest so massively to enable their citizens to access decent property. But Sereni will never acknowledge this: he is always nostalgic for the “blessed time of colonization” when colonists lived in nice neighborhoods while the “natives” were herded into unsanitary slums, mud huts, and other sordid shanties.
Ah, the civilizing mission of French colonization so dear to Sereni!
“Except for fuel and electricity sold off by the state […]”
Again, Sereni is not happy. Instead of rejoicing at seeing the Algerian state offer fuel and electricity at affordable prices to all Algerian citizens, he finds a way to denigrate this social policy, which contradicts his ultra-liberal and savage capitalist vision. A vision that has led France into the disastrous situation it finds itself in today. He would certainly prefer that fuel be paid for at the exorbitant price of his country and that electricity be rationed as it is in many countries. Let us recall that in France, the high cost of electricity has forced a worrying proportion of households to reduce their quality of life and live in the cold to avoid seeing their bills skyrocket[8]. Just last April, the newspaper Les Échos acknowledged the state of energy poverty in the French population with the headline: “The French are increasingly struggling to pay their gas and electricity bills”[9].
“Three million unemployed people receive 70% of the minimum wage for doing nothing, which encourages mass inactivity […]”
Journalist Sereni continues to bore us with nonsense unworthy of someone whose CV mentions he was once “director of the Nouvel Économiste” (sic!). We have seen, read, and heard everything! The Algerian government offers an unemployment allowance to three million young job seekers to ensure a subsistence income, and our Sunday economist is not happy under the far-fetched pretext of encouraging inactivity!
Firstly, it should be noted that very few African countries grant such allowances to their citizens, and according to the “World Social Protection Report 2020-2022” published by the International Labour Organization (ILO): “less than one-fifth of the unemployed worldwide actually receive unemployment benefits”[10].
Secondly, if this subsidy encourages inactivity, can he explain why it has existed for decades in his country and all Western countries?
Whether you like it or not, Mr. Sereni, the Algerian state will continue to build apartments for its citizens, provide them with electricity, gas, and fuel at affordable prices, and offer allowances to its unemployed.
Focus instead on the rage of the “yellow vests,” the anger over pension reform in France, police violence, the galloping pauperization of the French population, and the far-right’s assaults on the institutions of the “republic” instead of spouting your nonsense against Algeria, which is celebrating its 62nd year of independence. I did say “I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-C-E,” Mr. Sereni, or do I need to spell it out for you?
“A brave journalist, Ihsan El Kadi, devoted an informed article on his site, Radio M. He got five years in prison for it!”
Ah! The courage of the secret police! We’ve heard this one before! Sereni continues to use fake news even though this matter has been extensively discussed. He uses the language of those NGOs richly funded for their subversive work in Algeria. The language of those “offshore opponents” mentioned earlier, from whom he must draw inspiration or with whom he must consult.
Firstly, it should be said that Radio M was not a space for freedom of expression. On the contrary, this media followed a very specific agenda that advocated for a transitional phase, in concert with some organizations classified as “terrorist,” and any other voice was ignored. This option was concocted to “springify” Algeria as was the case in Libya, Syria, and elsewhere in the Arab world.
But most importantly, Radio M was funded by the Quai d’Orsay, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the country of Sereni. The details of this matter have been documented in some of my articles[11]. I strongly recommend Mr. Sereni read them to avoid appearing even more foolish than he already does.
“[…] an unfortunate chicken is sold for 2,000 dinars (DA) in Algiers […]. ‘In Sétif, bananas, the favorite fruit of Algerians, are sold at Paris prices,’ reports a young man who went back to the homeland for vacation.”
I don’t know what chicken Mr. Sereni is talking about, but as far as I know, giant chickens do not exist in Algeria, nor those suffering from elephantiasis. Could it be by chance the price of an “unfortunate” ostrich? Indeed, I asked two friends, one in Paris and the other in Algiers, to photograph the average price of whole chickens in these two cities on the same day, June 28, 2024. Here are the photos:
Price of chicken in Paris (June 28, 2024): €5.25 per Kg Price of chicken in Algiers (June 28, 2024): 349 DA per Kg
Thus, it is noted that the price per kilogram of chicken in Paris is, “at the parallel exchange rate” as Sereni so aptly puts it, 3.6 times more expensive than in Algiers. That is to say, at equal weight, for the price of one chicken in Paris, almost four can be had in Algiers!
As for bananas, several remarks can be made. Firstly, since neither France nor Algeria is a producer of bananas, there is no reason for the prices to be different in the two countries. But even in this case, it is noted that bananas are more expensive in Paris compared to Algiers.
Price of bananas in Paris (June 28, 2024): €1.99 per Kg ….. Price of bananas in Algiers (June 28, 2024): 320 DA per Kg
Again, “at the parallel exchange rate,” bananas are indeed 1.5 times more expensive in Paris compared to Algiers.
But in fact, that’s not what really catches the eye. It’s rather the two expressions “favorite fruit of Algerians” and “reports a young man who went back to the homeland for vacation.”
Who said that bananas are the favorite fruit of Algerians? Was there a survey on the matter that we missed? Remarkably, this resembles a taunt often repeated across Moroccan social media to disrespect Algerians. Who could have given this information to Sereni? Could he also be colluding with Moroccan YouTubers or their bosses?
As for the identity of the banana price informant, one remains surprised by the French journalist’s sources. A holidaymaker in Algeria! This gives an idea of the seriousness of Mr. former editor-in-chief’s work! This person just forgot to inform him of the headache faced by Algerian customs dealing with “emigrants going back to the homeland” who return to France with enormous provisions of food, victuals, and other consumer products because they are much cheaper in Algeria.
If it weren’t becoming tiresome, we could continue in this vein for a long time given the astronomical number of stupidities per square centimeter in Sereni’s article! But let’s look at another aspect of Sereni’s prose.
For Whom Does Jean-Pierre Sereni Work?
Such animosity towards a President of the Republic, such hatred poured on a country, such fake news used to harm the stability of a nation in a pre-election period cannot be coincidental, especially from a foreign citizen.
By comparison, let us recall that a simple pro-RN (Rassemblement National) tweet from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs between the two rounds of the French legislative elections was considered a “provocation” and an “interference”[12]. How then can we qualify this coarse and repugnant article?
Mr. Sereni is certainly on a mission, and has been for a long time as we will show. Certainly, it is difficult to prove these allegations without access to his pay slips or bank account, but we will try to clarify things by analyzing this “journalist’s” writings published over the last decade on Orient XXI.
Sereni, who presents himself as a “specialist of the Maghreb,” should normally be interested in all the countries of this region equally. But this is not at all the case. Here are two graphs representing respectively the number and proportion of articles written by Sereni on Orient XXI about different Maghreb countries.
Number of articles written by Jean-Pierre Sereni by Maghreb countries (Orient XXI – May 2013 to June 2024)
Percentage of articles written by Jean-Pierre Sereni by Maghreb countries (Orient XXI, May 2013 to June 2024)
Note: In both graphs, these are articles specifically written about each of the countries.
Thus, it is observed that Algeria is treated disproportionately by Sereni, compared to the other Maghreb countries. By comparison, while 73 articles are devoted to Algeria, only five (5!) are about Morocco in 11 years of practice! This hack is therefore not a specialist of the Maghreb, but a certified expert in Algeria-bashing. To get an idea of Sereni’s hostility towards Algeria, here are the titles of some of his articles:
- Algeria. Subtle Clashes at the Heart of Power (April 2023)
- This Financial Cancer that Plagues Algeria (January 2023)
- From Algeria to Iraq, How Corruption Works (September 2021)
- Algeria. President Tebboune’s Stagnation Leads to Deadlock (September 2020)
- Algeria. The Obstructed Future of the Oil Sector (February 2021)
- Algeria. The Street Against the Regime (March 2019)
- Algeria Sinks Silently (July 2016)
- Algeria’s Fabulous Telecom Blunders (April 2014)
- Algeria’s Economy at a Standstill (December 2013)
And dozens of other articles are in the same vein. Reading the adjectives used by Sereni to describe Algeria, nothing that happens in this country is interesting, everything is bad. According to his doom-laden predictions, Algeria should have collapsed a long time ago. But unfortunately for him, Algeria is still standing, against all odds, despite multiple destabilization attempts. The nauseating content of his article discussed here is a clear sign of his dismay.
Already, in February 2012, he was eager to see Algeria swept away by the “spring”[13]. During the Hirak, he was disappointed to see the Algerian people choose the constitutional path instead of that of Radio M and its cronies.
On the other hand, Sereni seems to be on good terms with Morocco. Only five articles, with favorable titles. Examples:
- Morocco’s Economy. “Good, but Must (Much) Improve” (February 2020)
- The Successful Gamble of Automobile Manufacturing in Morocco (November 2018)
- A Thousand Years of Moroccan Monarchy Revisited by an Ethnologist (August 2017)
As if by chance, Sereni did not notice the abuses of Moroccan authorities against Sahrawi activists, the shameful tribulations of the Cherifian monarch, the Hirak of the Rif, the Pegasus scandal, the massive corruption of MEPs by the kingdom exposed during the Marocgate, the alarming expansion of drug trafficking, etc.
No, nothing, nothing. Not seen, not known. Mum’s the word.
This unhealthy verbosity against Algeria and this complicit silence towards Morocco remind us of the behavior of the European Parliament: very severe against Algeria and silent about Morocco for the 25 years preceding the Marocgate. And a question naturally arises: could Sereni, like some MEPs, be a client with all expenses paid by Mamounia and the warm nights of Marrakech? Could he also have been recruited by the Makhzen to harm Algeria?
This becomes even clearer in a piece co-written by Sereni in the newspaper Le Monde where he declares:
“It is indeed Paris that set the current Algerian-Moroccan borders by enlarging the Algerian territory”[14].
This pro-Moroccan tirade reminds us of those of Bernard Lugan, another controversial employee of the Moroccan kingdom, far-right militant, and eternal “hater” of Algeria. To get a good grasp of the character, note that Lugan was a sympathizer of Action Française, a member of the National Front, and advisor to Éric Zemmour during the 2022 presidential election[15].
A small cherry on the cake: in the midst of the brutal genocide perpetrated by the Zionist entity, Sereni permits himself to write: “Israel. A resilient economy despite the war”[16]. Among other enormities, we read, “In reality, Israel can self-finance the war with its own resources and American aid”[17]. He just wanted to say that the Hebrew state can exterminate Palestinians with its own means and a “little” help from Uncle Sam. Sereni was worried: now he is reassured.
A little word on the Palestinian tragedy?
No, nothing, nothing. Not seen, not known. Mum’s the word.
Moreover, the Rabat-Tel Aviv axis seems to captivate Sereni. He does not hesitate to use it as a threat against Algeria:
“Algiers has no ally while Mohamed VI enjoys the support of Israel, its sophisticated armaments, and military advisers”[18].
Seriously? Is he really talking about this army and its advisers swept away by the “Al Aqsa Flood”?
Conclusion
This study leads to the following conclusions:
- Over the past 11 years, i.e., since the creation of the Orient XXI webzine, Jean-Pierre Sereni has written significantly more about Algeria than about all the other Maghreb countries combined. Yet he claims to be a “specialist” of the entire Maghreb.
- This individual’s articles are always critical of Algeria: he has never written anything positive or even neutral about this country.
- Sereni is very (very) reticent about Morocco, and when he does take an interest, the words used are very kind.
- This hack refrains from writing about all the recurring scandals that have rocked the Makhzen regime during this entire period. On the other hand, even positive socio-economic measures taken by the Algerian government in favor of its population are turned by this Sunday analyst into economic catastrophes.
- The multitude of insults hurled by this character against the President of the Algerian Republic is unworthy of anyone uttering them, especially one claiming to be related to journalism, which gives a poor impression of this profession in France.
- The language elements used by Sereni in this article in particular (and in his others in general) show a similarity with those of the Algerian “offshore opponents,” groups classified as “terrorist” by Algeria, anti-Algerian Moroccan cyber activists, and certain “intellectuals” funded by the Makhzen.
- Regarding the Hebrew state, Sereni extols its normalization with Morocco and uses the Rabat-Tel Aviv axis as a thinly veiled threat against Algeria.
Finally, all this information converges to one point: Jean-Pierre Sereni is most certainly financed by Morocco. No self-respecting journalist would behave so servilely.
My final remark is addressed to Mr. Alain Gresh, founder, and director of the Orient XXI website: “what are you waiting for to show this clown the door?”
References
[1] Ahmed Bensaada, “Algeria: Preventing Voting, Is It a Democratic Act?” AhmedBensaada.com, December 10, 2019, https://www.ahmedbensaada.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=507:2019-12-10-17-02-01&catid=46:qprintemps-arabeq&Itemid=119
[2] Jean-Pierre Sereni, “Presidential Election in Algeria: Full Speed Ahead into Stagnation,” Orient XXI, June 2024, https://orientxxi.info/magazine/election-presidentielle-en-algerie-en-avant-toute-vers-la-stagnation,7364
[3] Zitouni Mustapha, “National Operation to Distribute Over 250,000 Housing Units,” Jeunesse d’Algérie, July 3, 2024, https://jeunessedalgerie.dz/operation-nationale-de-distribution-de-plus-de-250-000-logements-le-president-de-la-republique-donne-le-coup-denvoi-depuis-la-ville-de-sidi-abdellah/
[4] Claire Ané, “The Social Housing Crisis: Why Are We Lacking HLM?” Le Monde, April 2, 2024, https://podcasts.lemonde.fr/lheure-du-monde/202404020621-le-logement-social-en-crise-pourquoi-manque-t-de-hlm
[5] Rania Massoud, “The Housing Crisis, a Problem Beyond Canada’s Borders,” Radio-Canada, August 24, 2023, https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2005681/crise-logement-londres-italie-france-australie-canada-pays-bas
[6] Ibid.
[7] Al Magharibia TV, YouTube, July 4, 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6EuxphoRLk
[8] Marine Richard, “More Than a Quarter of French People Suffer from the Cold in Their Homes,” Le Figaro, November 15, 2023, https://immobilier.lefigaro.fr/article/plus-d-un-quart-des-francais-souffrent-du-froid-dans-leur-logement_acd2674e-82cb-11ee-90f2-3e3815285ca8/
[9] Les Échos, “The French Are Increasingly Struggling to Pay Their Gas and Electricity Bills,” April 2, 2024, https://www.lesechos.fr/industrie-services/energie-environnement/les-francais-ont-de-plus-en-plus-de-mal-a-payer-leur-facture-de-gaz-et-delectricite-2091412
[10] ILO, “World Social Protection Report 2020-2022,” 2022, https://www.ilo.org/media/372641/download
[11] See, for example, Ahmed Bensaada, “Hirak: Radio M’s Secret Service,” ahmedbensaada.com, April 5, 2021, https://www.ahmedbensaada.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=555:hirak-la-barbouzerie-de-radio-m&catid=46:qprintemps-arabeq&Itemid=119
[12] By John Timsit, “Russian Support for the RN: Marine Le Pen Denounces a ‘Provocation’ and ‘Interference’ in the Legislative Elections,” Le Figaro, July 3, 2024, https://www.lefigaro.fr/elections/legislatives/soutien-de-la-russie-au-rn-marine-le-pen-denonce-une-provocation-et-une-ingerence-en-pleines-legislatives-20240703
[13] Jean-Pierre Sereni, “A Spring that Is Long Awaited,” Le Monde diplomatique, February-March 2012, https://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/mav/121/SERENI/47359
[14] Group of Academics, initiated by Khadija Mohsen-Finan and Jean-Pierre Sereni, “Western Sahara: ‘The Resolution of the Conflict Must Now Be Considered in the Context of an International Conference,’” Le Monde, February 16, 2023, https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2023/02/16/sahara-occidental-le-reglement-du-conflit-doit-desormais-etre-pense-dans-le-cadre-d-une-conference-internationale_6162046_3232.html
[15] Charlotte Lalanne, “In the National Rally, Mohamed VI’s Strange Allies,” L’Express, July 5, 2024, https://www.lexpress.fr/monde/afrique/au-rassemblement-national-les-etranges-allies-de-mohamed-vi-SCZOK4HSBNC4ZMT6WIZVSQFTZE/
[16] Jean-Pierre Sereni, “Israel: A Resilient Economy Despite the War,” Orient XXI, December 12, 2023, https://orientxxi.info/magazine/israel-une-economie-resiliente-malgre-la-guerre,6929
[17] Ibid.
[18] Jean-Pierre Sereni, “Presidential Election in Algeria: Full Speed Ahead into Stagnation,” Op. Cit.
Translated from : https://www.ahmedbensaada.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=647%3A2024-07-07-17-38-17
