On 27 March, the European Parliament discussed recent political protests in Algeria during the plenary session in Strasbourg. In the wake of the announcement of Army Chief of Staff Gaid Salah who proposed to declare President Bouteflika unfit to exercise power. MEPs called for a transparent and inclusive transition. Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations on behalf of High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini, delivered a statement commenting the core issues at stake in Algeria and how the EU is and could be further involved. Mr. Hahn stressed the need “to consult and listen to the people with a view to introducing significant reforms”, particularly in the light of the nomination of a new PM and Deputy PM. He expressed the will to maintain good bilateral relations since Algeria is, to the EU, a key partner holding important “political, economic and people-to-people interests in the country and in the region.” The EU is ready to “encourage a free, fair and inclusive election of Algeria’s next president […] organized within a reasonable timeframe” but it also reminds that “it is for the Algerians to decide for themselves, and among themselves, how to make the transition happen.” Supporting the call for the broader reform and transition process, Hahn mentioned that a National Conference could “be the platform for discussing this” to “ensure political legitimacy”.