The academic who will be putting years of political theory into transparent practice
In naming academic and diplomat Abdelaziz Djerad as prime minister of Algeria, President Tebboune will hope to dispel fears of a government of insiders.
Although Mr Djerad, 65, has served in government twice, his main focus has always been academia.
He was born in the north-eastern city of Khenchela, nestled in the Aures Mountains, in February 1954.
After completing a bachelor’s degree in 1976, at the Institute of Political Sciences and International Relations of Algiers, he moved to Paris, where he obtained a doctorate in the subject.
Mr Djerad completed his twoyear national service, a requirement for all Algerian men over the age of 19, in 1986, going on to teach at some of Algeria’s most prestigious institutions. He has put his grounding in political theory into practice in public positions, including as Director of the Ecole Nationale d’Administration in Algiers from 1989 to 1992, diplomatic adviser to the President of the Republic from 1992 to 1993, and Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic from 1993 to 1995.
The new Prime Minister most recently held the post of Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, until he was sidelined in 2003 by former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who was ousted in April.
Mr Djerad became an outspoken critic of the Bouteflika regime, backing the protest movement calling for a change of government, and backed protesters who rejected any election that would take place during while the military was involved with the government.
He must now form a government and has underlined the need to “work together in order to address socioeconomic challenges facing the country”.