Algeria to the Test
Components of an economic, social, and
political history of Algeria (1980-1997)
translated by Abdelaziz Rebatchi
French
original
Already marked by decisive political events (early April
15 presidential elections), 1999 may also be the year of the third
foreign debt rescheduling. The fact that previous agreements (April
1994-March 1995 and April 1995-March 1995), whose corollary was
the application of an IMF and World Bank-imposed economic liberalization
program (Structural Adjustment Program [SAP]), have not yielded
the imperative improvements as well as the economic take off,
is an indication.
True, the big macroeconomic and financial balances have
been partly restored (weaker inflation, lower budget deficit,
balanced payments, etc.), but only achieved at the price of a
serious economic recession: lack of investments (except in the
hydrocarbon sector), paralyzed public and private production due
to a lack of funds and credits, etc.
As to the social aspect--unemployment has continued to creep
upwards and affects an ever-growing youth population whose only
perspective is to emigrate anywhere--purchasing power of a great
number of Algerians has receded. The fact that the support from
the Algerian immigration in France that showed clear signs of
a decrease in 1970-80, has become overbearing for the families'
and the migrants' regions of origin, is by itself a clear symptom
of the situation.
The implementation of these SAP by Algeria underlines the
end of the national sovereignty myth, for a longtime jealously
kept and upheld by the Algerian authorities. This implementation
is the direct result of a continuous deterioration of the economic
and social situation since the mid-80's. At the end of 1993, Algeria
was in a situation where it stopped making the payments.
Between 1980 and 1994 (date of the first agreement with
the IMF), Algeria has experienced different economic, social,
institutional and political movements. At no time have the diverse
economic and social sectors, as well as the structures and the
economic institutions, whether from the Algerian society or the
state, been met with so many tests, attempts or will of reforms
as in this period.
The analysis of this important period of the economic, social
and political history of these last two decades is a must for
those who wish to transcend the partial, simplifying even simplistic
analysis, developed these last few years on this Algeria that
is being torn apart and destroyed.
The work of Ahmed Dahmani, Algeria to the Test, is meant
to be understood in this perspective and whose objective is to
be a contribution to this decoding and understanding of Algeria
at the dawn of the 21st century.
The author: Ahmed Dahmani
was born in Algiers in 1950. He has a PhD in Economic Sciences.
He was a lecturer/researcher at the University of Tizi-Ouzou (Algeria)
from 1979 to 1994. He currently lives in Paris, where he teaches
economics at Paris-Sud. To contact the author, e-mail : amel@wanadoo.fr.
The paper was published at the Harmattan,
5-7 rue de l'école Polytechnique, 75005 Paris, France.
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