The explosion of Mehdi Ghazzar’s bubble under the watch of the French internal security agency

On January 23, 2025, the French Magazine l’Express published an in-depth investigation detailing the controversial trajectory of Mehdi Ghezzar, a former radio commentator turned “agitator of agitators” and a central figure in anti-French rhetoric. While he highlights his connections at the highest levels of the Algerian state, L’Express reveals that he sought meetings with French political figures, even denying some of these encounters—and that he is being monitored by the DGSI due to his murky ties to Algiers. Boasting of being a “son of the system,” he juggles presidential ambitions with an unofficial intermediary role, casting doubt on his true intentions.

The L’Express investigation published on Thursday January 23, 2025: behind the scenes of Mehdi Ghezzar’s controversial quest to position himself as the indispensable mediator between France and Algeria.

DRIENCOURT-SEMMAR MEETINGS FOR A PRESIDENTIAL BID

According to consistent accounts from Driencourt and Semmar, Mehdi Ghezzar reportedly arranged by his own initiative two meetings in Paris in 2023 to discuss a potential run in Algeria’s 2024 presidential election. He supposedly presented himself as “anti-establishment” and “anti-Tebboune,” seeking advice and contacts from opponents based in France. Yet, Mehdi Ghezzar categorically denies having met these two individuals, despite written evidence and direct testimonies: on March 22, 2023, at the restaurant Les Princes near Porte de Saint-Cloud, where Driencourt claims to have spoken with him, and on May 9, 2023, during a meeting attended by Abdou Semmar.

Ghezzar refutes what appears undeniable and fosters uncertainty about his motives: does he intend to portray himself as an opponent of President Tebboune while simultaneously being perceived as close to those in power? This ambiguity fuels suspicions that his narrative changes according to his audience, objectives, and opportunities. Ostensibly full of contradictions, Ghezzar sometimes depicts himself as a critic of the Algerian regime, even a potential presidential candidate, all while proclaiming his support for the incumbent president and stepping in as a quasi-official intermediary in diplomatic matters.

According to his critics, this strategy of sowing confusion allows him to infiltrate decision-making circles while concealing his true agenda. Put simply, Mehdi Ghezzar is seen as an opportunist who blinds his interlocutors with lofty rhetoric and lies, paralyzing them through the audacity of his claims.

UNDER DGSI SURVEILLANCE

L’Express reports that he is monitored by the DGSI (France’s General Directorate for Internal Security) because of his connections at the highest levels of the Algerian government. On January 17, 2025, he sought to meet with Louis-Xavier Thirode, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Ministry of the Interior, and Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior. For context, January 17, 2025 was one week after the intense “influencers” crisis initiated by Algeria where it refused entry to its own citizens in order to “humiliate” France. Ghezzar claimed to the French that he holds sensitive information on various Algerian figures, including writer Boualem Sansal. Presenting himself as a “missus dominicus” (a political envoy), he purports to act as an unofficial communication channel between Algiers and Paris. Yet his stance is far from unanimously accepted. A senior executive official, quoted by L’Express, points out his proximity to the Algerian presidency while noting the high level of mistrust he inspires.

This mistrust is further fueled by his media activity: frequent appearances on the Algerian public channel Al24 News, self-appointment as Tebboune’s campaign director in Paris, and vague plans to create a “lobby DZ” aimed at promoting Algerian interests in France.

HIS “GOLDEN BOY SON OF THE SYSTEM” NARRATIVE DOESN’T SURVIVE SIMPLE SCRUTINITY

Mehdi Ghezzar’s family background is no less intriguing. On Algerian television, he proudly mentions a father who was “close to Houari Boumediene,” the illustrious Algerian president after the War of Independence. When questioned by L’Express on the matter, he becomes abruptly evasive: while acknowledging that his father held several diplomatic roles (consul, consul general, chargé d’affaires in various countries), he refuses to disclose his name or elaborate on any genuine ties to Algeria’s political elite. While L’Express was unable to reveal his father’s identity, our investigation was able to: Mehdi Ghezzar’s father is Abdelkrim Ghezzar.

According to our sources, the diplomatic career of Abdelkrim Ghezzar, father of Mehdi Ghezzar, only began in late 1972 under Houari Boumediène’s regime, seven years after Boumediène took power in 1965 and six years before his death in 1978. In other words, this so-called “closeness” to the president is about as plausible as a benchwarmer claiming they ran the whole game. It’s therefore unsurprising that Mehdi Ghezzar dodges L’Express’s questions: he knows perfectly well his statements are all swagger and little substance, and that even the briefest scrutiny would lay bare his fabrication, as we’ve just demonstrated

Left: Mehdi Ghezzar’s business ties demonstrate his links with the Mehri and Raouraoua families. Right: Mehdi Ghezzar member of the Algerian network who started a hybrid warfare campaign on French soil.

Appearing as “anti-Tebboune” to some while boasting of closeness to the Algerian president to others reveals, behind the smokescreen, a two-faced figure with a double narrative, striving to build a reputation based on a sharp flair for spectacle, much like other controversial figures who have left their mark on Franco-Algerian relations. In doing so, Mehdi Ghezzar seems to blend the theatrical “good samaritan” showmanship of Rachid Nekkaz, the cryptic allure of Ziad Takieddine, and the “son of the system golden-boy” charisma of Rafik Khalifa, but he conveniently forgets they all wound up in the same place: behind bars.

Abderrahmane Fares