After Years of Isolation, Algeria’s Faltering Return

In my latest analysis for Atlantic Council, I examine Algeria’s recent reemergence onto the world stage—and why it hasn’t gone according to leaders’ plans.

Algiers overlook, 2012

Alongside several major international events, Algeria has hosted a whirlwind of international VIP guests this year. There’s one big reason for the country’s sudden popularity after years in the wilderness, as I write in my latest analysis for Atlantic Council:

Today, amid a scramble for alternative energy sources in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Algeria’s status as an underdeveloped oil and gas producer right on Europe’s doorstep has triggered a flood of international interest.

But Algeria’s reemergence has been tarnished by diplomatic defeats, communication stumbles, and policy confusion, often leaving Algerians disappointed and their foreign partners scratching their heads:

Algeria’s years of hiding in plain sight are over. But, as it has assumed new prominence in world affairs, it has struggled to engage effectively and shape events according to its vision, even when its energy wealth affords it substantial leverage.

That’s the big picture, but there’s much more in the full piece.

Read it at the Atlantic Council’s MENASource blog: Algeria has been isolated for years. Now it’s making a shaky return to the world stage.