In the midst of a crisis between Paris and Algiers, Gérard Larcher goes to Western Sahara

While diplomatic tensions between Paris and Algiers are at their highest, the President of the Senate, Gérard Larcher, will travel to Western Sahara on Tuesday. In a statement published on Friday, the Senate did not hide the objective of this visit: "To reflect France's new position according to which the present and future of Western Sahara are part of Moroccan sovereignty" , as announced by Emmanuel Macron on July 30. To the great displeasure of Algeria, historically opposed to Moroccan claims on the region. This trip by the second personage of the State, who began a three-day visit to Morocco on Sunday, is unlikely to fail to irritate Algiers, which had already spoken out against the "unwelcome" and "particularly serious" visit to the same places by the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati , on February 17.

While the Senate is suspended this week, Gérard Larcher will travel, accompanied by a delegation from the Upper House, to Laayoune, the capital of the region. Among them, Cédric Perrin, president (LR) of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Christian Cambon, president (LR) of the France-Morocco friendship group, and Hervé Marseille, vice-president (UDI) of the same group. The president of the Senate is due to speak on Tuesday