Since February 22 2019, Algerians have taken to the streets in massive numbers to call for an end to a protean regime. While the ruling coalition has offered significant concessions, most notably the resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, protesters insist that their demands have not been met. This talk will shed light on these protests, analyzing them both in a historical lens while also addressing future prospects for democratic change and their implications for regional geopolitics. It will explore, for example, the role of the war of independence (1954-1962) and civil war (1992-1999) in political contestation, questions of language and national identity, and the landscape of the current political opposition. 

 

Muriam Haleh Davis is Assistant Professor of History at UCSC. She recently co-edited a volume with Thomas Serres entitled, North Africa and the Making of Europe: Institutions, Governance Culture (Bloomsbury Press, 2018). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas Serres teaches in the Politics Department at UCSC. He is the author of a monograph on Algeria under Bouteflika, L'Algérie face à la catastrophe suspendue. Gérer la crise et blâmer le peuple sous Bouteflika (Karthala, 2019).