National Construction Movement
The National Construction Movement, often referred to as El-Bina, is a significant political party in Algeria that holds a key place in the "Nationalist-Islamist" spectrum of the nation. Under Abdelmadjid Tebboune's leadership, the party, which was founded in 2013, has grown from a splinter group to a pillar of the "Presidential Majority."
El-Bina promotes a "State-First" Islamism, emphasizing the stability of national institutions and the Algerian People's National Army as the ultimate defenders of the republic, in contrast to more radical or combative Islamist movements.
History
The Post-Nahnah Crisis (2003–2012)
El-Bina requires an understanding of the Movement of Society for Peace's (MSP) internal breakdown. Under Mahfoud Nahnah's leadership, the MSP engaged in "Participationism", which is the belief that Islamists should join the government in order to influence it from within, for many years.The MSP leadership started to stray after Nahnah's passing in 2003. During the Arab Spring, a group led by Abderezzak Makri shifted the party in the direction of the opposition and eventually joined the "National Coordination for Change and Democracy." Abdelkader Bengrina and Mustapha Belmehdi led a group of veterans who saw this change as a betrayal of Nahnah's legacy of "State-preservation."
The March 2013 Breakaway
In March 2013, the National Construction Movement was formally established. Instead of describing their split, the founders called it a "correction." They contended that the MSP had lost sight of the "nationalist" origins of the Algerian struggle and had become overly preoccupied with partisan politics. In 2014, as the Bouteflika era was about to enter its last, stagnant phase, the Ministry of Interior granted the party official legal status.The Post-Hirak Rise (2019–Present)
El-Bina successfully navigated the 2019 Hirak protests by presenting itself as a "constructive" opposition, while many traditional parties battled for legitimacy.- Abdelkader Bengrina was the party's nominee in the 2019 presidential election. He lost to Abdelmadjid Tebboune after finishing second with roughly 17.37% of the vote in a contentious election with low turnout.
- 2021 Legislative Elections: With 39 seats won, the party became one of the biggest blocs in parliament and greatly increased its influence in the People's National Assembly.
Ideology and Platform
The National Construction Movement is affiliated with the "Badissia Novembria" current, which combines the nationalist ideals of the November 1, 1954, Revolution with the reformist Islamic teachings of Abdelhamid Ben Badis.Important Ideas:
- Islamic Democracy: The party supports a republican system of government that is based on Islamic principles.
- Social conservatism: a strong focus on preserving the Arabic language and the traditional family.
- Statism: El-Bina frequently stresses the "preservation of state institutions," in contrast to some opposition groups, which has led some to characterize it as a "pro-regime Islamist" party.
- Foreign Policy: The party is vocal about the Western Sahara conflict and the Palestinian cause, and it is adamantly anti-colonial.
Leadership
- Respected religious leader and founding president Mustapha Belmehdi.
- The party's current leader and the face of its contemporary electoral success is Abdelkader Bengrina. In light of new organic laws pertaining to party leadership limits, there have been internal discussions as of early 2026 about his possible retirement from the presidency.
Current Standing (2025–2026)
The party has gotten closer to the "presidential majority" in recent years. It holds a number of positions in Prime Minister Nadir Larbaoui's administration, such as the Ministry of Vocational Training and the Ministry of Labor.The party has been an outspoken advocate of President Tebboune's reforms in the run-up to the 2024 and 2025 elections, frequently vying with the FLN to be viewed as the president's main political pillar.