Taysir Boulmerka (1951-) was an Algerian Democratic National Rally politician who served as President of Algeria from 2025, succeeding Ara Zerhouni.
Biography[]
Taysir Boulmerka was born in Tissemsilt, Algeria in 1951 to a Sunni Muslim Berber family. Boulmerka served in the military during the Algerian Civil War, rising to the rank of Colonel. It was around this time that he campaigned for Liamine Zeroual during his presidential candidacies, and he joined the RND party. He was first elected to the People's National Assembly in 2017, and he was number-three on the party list behind Fadila Habib and Ara Zerhouni. In 2023 and 2024, he was chosen as the RND presidential candidate due to Zerhouni being held back by term-limits, but he tied with FLN candidate Raheem Bouchiba and Rally for Culture and Democracy candidate Samman Djaout in 2023 and 2024, respectively. In 2025, Boulmerka finally placed in first with 17.3% of the vote, defeating the RCD and TAJ candidates Samman Djaout and Kadar Belounis.
Presidency[]
Boulmerka inherited a country with an 80 million DA deficit, but it was improving by 6 million DA each week due to Zerhouni's emergency tax hikes. Boulmerka pulled a public relations stunt by promising to raise the budget to a positive 20 million DA in 20 weeks, only to use his own party's coffers to achieve that promise in one week. The PNA then voted 57-2 against gun control, 31-30 against an airport tax, 53-7 to keep the robbery penalty, and 59-4 to keep the air pollution monitor. In the mid-2025 elections, the RND dropped to 32.02% and 22 seats (losing a seat), the FLN rose to 18.38% and 13 seats, the FFS rose to 14.27% and 10 seats, the RCD fell to 13.50% and 10 seats, the TAJ fell to 8.69% and 6 seats, the MPS rose to 5.82% and 4 seats, the PT fell to 4.09% and 3 seats, and the MPA rose to 3.23% and 2 seats. Boulmerka was then re-elected with 17.5% of the vote, with Samman Djaout placing in second with 15.4%.