The secrets of the first element

Algerians are headed to the polls today to elect their next members of parliament. Nearly 25 million people are eligible to vote, selecting from over 1,200 candidates for 407 seats in the lower house. It’s the country’s second parliamentary election since the pro-democracy Hirak movement swept the country in 2019 – the peaceful uprising that successfully ousted the longtime president and raised hopes for a new political order free of government corruption and high unemployment.

But seven years on, the fervor of the Hirak protests has faded, and the public’s demands remain largely unaddressed. Algerians are still facing shrinking freedoms, particularly around the press and speech, deteriorating public services, and a cost-of-living crisis driven by a weakening Algerian currency and rising food prices. Meanwhile, real power remains concentrated with the presidency and the military-security establishment – known collectively as “le pouvoir” – rather than in parliament, and distrust of the state runs deep. Across the country, the prevailing sentiment is that the elections simply will not change much.