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On Tuesday, July 22, Portugal officially expressed its support for Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara, a move that Algeria has notably chosen not to comment on. Instead, the Algerian response was limited to allowing the Polisario Front to simply «take note» of Portugal's decision.
The Front expressed its disappointment, stating, «What the Sahrawi government expects from Portugal and all its political and social forces is an alignment with legality and a commitment to defending human rights, including the right of peoples to self-determination and independence», as noted in a statement.
This silence from Algeria signals a shift towards a more restrained diplomatic approach, particularly since Donald Trump's return to the U.S. presidency on January 20, 2025. Previous diplomatic actions, such as recalling ambassadors from Spain in March 2022 and France in July 2024, failed to achieve the desired outcomes. The current strategy emphasizes more measured responses.
After the Trump administration reaffirmed support for Morocco's claim over Western Sahara on April 8, Algerian diplomacy expressed its «regrets» over such a decision from a permanent member of the UN Security Council, which is expected to uphold international law and Security Council resolutions.
A similar stance was observed following the United Kingdom's endorsement of the Moroccan autonomy initiative for Western Sahara. «Algeria regrets the United Kingdom's choice to support the Moroccan autonomy plan», lamented the Algerian Ministry in a statement.
In May 2023, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune made an official visit to Lisbon, where he referred to Portugal as a «quasi-brotherly country» in his remarks to the press.
