During another marathon appearance before two journalists from Algeria’s state media on Monday, July 27, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune once again indulged in a rambling exercise in self-promotion. The more than two-hour broadcast, aired on delay by state television and radio, chiefly served to confirm that Tunisia—where President Kaïs Saied is facing mounting popular unrest—has effectively become little more than an Algerian wilaya in Tebboune’s eyes. He also downplayed his regime’s glaring failures in confronting the country’s devastating wildfires by once again promising to purchase water-bombing aircraft. The performance was punctuated throughout by the register in which Tebboune excels: vulgarity.
