While a Spanish government delegation is present in Morocco, Madrid should reaffirm its support for the Moroccan plan in the Western Sahara file.
The declaration is signed Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar. For the Spanish Socialist MEP, the good understanding with Morocco is worth a few compromises. “If we have to swallow snakes, we will! “, he declared a few days ago, while, on February 1 and 2, Pedro Sánchez is present in Rabat, accompanied by a large government delegation.
between the two kingdoms, relationships have not always been good. But since Madrid sacrificed Brahim Ghali, the leader of the Polisario Frontthen supported Morocco in the thorny issue of Western Sahara, the two countries are moving forward hand in hand. On the front anyway.
And it was well worth an arrival in Morocco with great fanfare for the president of the Spanish government. The bilateral meeting which began today is the first of this importance in more than seven years. Although several cooperation agreements will be signed and twelve Spanish ministers will meet, throughout this stay, with their Moroccan counterparts, in fact, it is the files of Western Sahara and migration policy that interest Morocco respectively. and Spain.
For Madrid, it is above all a question of stabilizing the southern border in a lasting way. And inevitably, the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla will be on the menu of discussions between Pedro Sánchez and Aziz Akhannouch. he two enclaves alone concentrate the migratory pressure between Rabat and Madrid.
For Madrid, things are not moving fast enough
Settling this file is essential for the future: Spain regrets the slowness with which trade with Morocco has resumed. While these increased by 26% last year, the re-establishment of viable customs crossings in Ceuta and Melilla will help to increase the traffic of goods. The file should be facilitated by the efforts made by Rabat to stem the migratory phenomenon: since Rabat and Madrid were reconciled, irregular entries from Morocco to Europe have fallen by a third.
If it is necessary, as Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar says, to "swallow snakes", it is because we know, on the Spanish side, that it will be necessary to reaffirm its support for the Moroccan solution in the Western Sahara file to hope for anything. King Mohammed VI recently recalled that he expects his partners to take a clear position on the subject..
Madrid is therefore, without saying it clearly, agreed to put aside its convictions for some agreements with Morocco. Because the omnipresence of the Spanish left in international debates had, until today, allowed Spain not to have to support Morocco in Western Sahara. But in the hope of consolidating its commercial and especially migratory agreements with Rabat, Madrid ended up supporting the Cherifian kingdom. The friendship found with Rabat was well worth getting angry with Algeria. Provided, however, that Morocco also lets go of ballast. Which should be the case during these two decisive days.