Boualem Sansal's induction into Royal Academy sparks controversy in Belgium

Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal was officially inducted into the Royal Academy of French Language and Literature of Belgium on Saturday, April 25, 2026, months after his entry into the Académie Française. The ceremony ignited a heated controversy in Belgium due to Sansal's recent far-right political stances. In the days leading up to the event, several Belgian writers publicly opposed the induction on social media and in the press, with some calling for the election to be annulled. Even within the Academy, members expressed doubts and regrets, with some labeling the decision an "error." Perpetual Secretary Yves Namur acknowledged the discomfort on RTBF radio, noting that Sansal was elected on October 11 based on his literary work, but that subsequent events had caused unease. During the ceremony, Belgian writer Jean-Luc Outers, in his reception speech, obliquely referenced a shift, describing Sansal as "the hero of a right-wing without complexes." The controversy underscores tensions between literary merit and political positions in cultural institutions.