Algeria at a crossroads: What will the future bring?

The Brookings Doha Center (BDC) hosted a panel discussion on April 16, 2019 on the state of affairs in Algeria and prospects for stability and change. The panelists considered the drivers and implications of the recent protests in Algeria, noting that the mass movement against a fifth term for the ailing Algerian president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, appeared to signal the end of an important cycle in the country’s political history. However, they also expressed concern that Algeria’s political upheaval could pave the way for Le Pouvoir (the deep state) to re-establish control and protect its interests.