RN appoints unfriendly president of France-Morocco friendship group
«The Rassemblement National doesn't give a damn about Morocco», burst a member of the French left last December, when we revealed the Macronist MPs' gift of the presidency of the France-Morocco friendship group to the RN. At the time, sources within the National Assembly mentioned the names of Marine Le Pen (who dreams of being received by the King of Morocco like her late father) and Sébastien Chenu. The presidency of the France-Morocco Friendship Group is highly sought-after and could have served to boost the international image of an RN MP.
But while RN was keen to hold on to this friendship group despite the adverse reactions our revelations caused in Paris and Rabat, it clearly has little respect for Morocco. The recent appointment of Hélène Laporte as president of the friendship group is proof of this. The MP for the 2nd constituency of Lot-et-Garonne has little regard for the Kingdom and French-Moroccans.
???? Très honorée d'avoir été nommée Présidente du groupe d'amitié France-Maroc à l'Assemblée nationale et de participer au renforcement de nos liens avec les membres de la Chambre des Représentants marocaine. pic.twitter.com/sGO5Bj3Vb2
— Hélène Laporte (@HeleneLaporteRN) January 29, 2025
The former wealth management consultant risks demolishing the entire edifice of parliamentary diplomacy between the two countries, slowly built up by her predecessors and encouraged by President Macron during his official visit at the end of October 2024. In December 2022, having just been elected to the National Assembly a few months earlier, she criticized the Moroccan supporters who had come out to celebrate the magnificent victory of Morocco's national team over Spain. «In Lille, Nice, and Amiens, the situation is degenerating, giving way to scenes of urban guerrilla warfare over a simple Moroccan football victory... Any pretext is good enough to sow disorder. The feeling of impunity is total!»
An unfriendly president for the friendship group
But it's not just the noisy Moroccan supporters that irritate the far-right politician. Her other obsession is Moroccan tomatoes. On March 12, 2024, she criticized the«unfair competition» from Moroccan tomato exporters, who benefit from the agricultural agreement with the EU. She demanded that the French Minister of Agriculture renegotiate this agreement with Brussels to re-evaluate customs duties to the detriment of Moroccan farmers. More recently, on January 15, 2025, just as the France-Morocco friendship group had officially been assigned to the RN, the MP, not yet president of the group, again called for a review of «the agreement linking us to Morocco, which provides for exemptions from customs duties on tomato imports, including during the summer season».
? Bonjour @AnnieGenevard, profitez de votre visite au #Maroc avec Monsieur Macron pour mettre fin à l'accord commercial visant à exonérer de droits de douane la tomate marocaine et qui place nos agriculteurs ?? dans une situation de concurrence déloyale invivable depuis 2012 ! pic.twitter.com/wg4EeaeA3S
— Hélène Laporte (@HeleneLaporteRN) October 30, 2024
You can't blame an MP from Lot-et-Garonne for defending the Marmande tomato and the farmers in her constituency, especially as Ms. Laporte is close to the Confédération rurale, the farmers' union close to the RN. Nor did her agricultural activism spare the Kingdom's cucumbers. Her perseverance in attacking Morocco and Moroccans makes her a strange president of the France-Morocco friendship group.
How could the RN have made such a gross casting error, risking the ire of Rabat? Especially as the Morocco-EU agricultural agreement is a sensitive issue for the Moroccan government. What, then, can be expected of a president who has never spoken out on the Western Sahara issue, unlike other elected members of the RN, as well as the former president of the France-Morocco friendship group, Karim Ben Cheikh?
? Retrouvez ma question écrite à la Commission européenne sur les fonds débloqués pour le Maroc. Pour le @GroupeID_FR, on est CONTRE ! https://t.co/4pQ8H1LIUM
— Hélène Laporte (@HeleneLaporteRN) April 30, 2020
The new president will have to multiply efforts to reassure her Moroccan counterparts and put her anti-Moroccan media outbursts and amendments hostile to Moroccan interests behind her.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Morocco World
3 hours ago
- Morocco World
Algeria's Jabaroot Targets Justice Ministry in Latest Cyberattack on Moroccan Institutions
Rabat – The Algerian hacker group Jabaroot has claimed responsibility for a new cyberattack targeting Morocco's Ministry of Justice, in what appears to be the latest in a string of breaches against state institutions. In a statement posted Monday to their Telegram channel, the group said it had accessed highly sensitive data linked to Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi, along with files concerning roughly 5,000 magistrates and some 35,000 officials across the judicial sector. This latest claim follows similar declarations from Jabaroot in recent weeks. The group previously announced it had infiltrated the systems of the National Social Security Fund (CNSS), forcing a temporary shutdown of online services in April. Around the same time, it also claimed to have breached the National Agency for Land Registry, Cadastre and Cartography (ANCFCC), allegedly gaining access to more than 10 million documents, including property certificates, ID cards, bank statements, and notarized records. Jabaroot's tone in Monday's message was pointed. 'Here we are back after a little truce on the occasion of Eid al-Adha!' the statement opened. The group framed its activities as part of a mission to confront political corruption. 'Our main goal by leaking all that data is to raise consciousness among the people of Morocco about the corruption of their leaders and the injustice they are facing every day,' it wrote. The hackers accused Moroccan authorities of turning a blind eye to their previous disclosures. 'Talking about (in)justice, we have noted with a profound astonishment the suspicious and complicit silence and inaction of the government (particularly the Ministry of Justice and all the magistrates of the kingdom led by the Minister of Justice) towards those bombshell revelations (published or not yet),' the message stated. 'All the Justice IT infrastructure is already pawned' Jabaroot said it had hoped to see officials take initiative and open investigations, claiming they would have cooperated. 'The first logical step would have been for Mr. Ouahbi and the kingdom's magistrates to open transparent investigations in which we would have willingly participated by providing more evidence and documents. Instead, they fell into a doubtful and questionable muteness.' The group claims that not only does it hold information about Minister Ouahbi and thousands of individuals within the Moroccan justice system, but that it also controls the Justice Ministry's entire digital infrastructure. 'Hereby, Jabaroot announces that it possesses deep and very sensitive data about: The Minister of Justice Mr. Abdellatif Ouahbi, all the magistrates of the Kingdom (about 5000), most of the justice sector officials (about 35000). Moreover, all the Justice IT infrastructure is already pawned.' The statement closed with a warning and a suggestion. Jabaroot said it would begin its own investigation and release information publicly if no action is taken. 'If nothing is done in this direction, Jabaroot will conduct deeper investigations by itself and inform the public, journalists and opponents in full transparency, with supporting documents.' Addressing the minister himself, the group wrote, 'If Mr. Ouahbi feels that he can't take actions because of pressures or any other reasons, the door is always open for resignation.' The Ministry of Justice has not responded to the allegations. If verified, this would mark one of the most serious digital intrusions involving Morocco's justice system, further fueling concerns over the country's cybersecurity readiness. Tags: Algerian hackerJabarootMorocco cyberattacksMorocco cybersecurity
Morocco World
4 hours ago
- Morocco World
Princess Lalla Hasnaa Participates in Mediterranean Dialogue on Connectivity at UN Summit
Rabat – Princess Lalla Hasnaa, representing King Mohammed VI, took part on Monday in the 'Summit for a Connected Mediterranean,' held at the historic Palais des Rois Sardes in Nice. The event, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, brought together heads of state and government from Europe, the Mediterranean region, and the Gulf, along with representatives of international and regional organizations. Held on the margins of the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC-3), the summit placed the Mediterranean at the heart of urgent conversations about the future of global connectivity. King Mohammed VI, in a message delivered by Princess Lalla Hasnaa at the summit, called on African nations to take greater ownership of their maritime spaces, describing the seas as vital to the continent's future. He welcomed the participation of African leaders at what he described as an 'unprecedented summit' focused on the continent's 30,000 kilometers of shared coastline. The King also lauded French President Emmanuel Macron for his dedication to ocean protection and urged African countries to move from recognizing the importance of marine resources to taking concrete steps to protect and develop them. He noted that while Africa's seas offer immense potential, they remain largely underexploited and poorly safeguarded. Far from a routine gathering, it marked a deliberate push to reimagine how countries around the sea relate to one another, by land, by sea, and through digital networks. The summit unfolded with a shared sense of purpose. Delegations laid out plans to improve transport infrastructure, expand digital links, and develop energy corridors. These announcements reflect a growing awareness that the region's future depends on cooperation rather than competition. Morocco's presence in this forum signaled its active role in shaping that future. Through the voice of Princess Lalla Hasnaa, the country expressed its commitment to building stronger bridges across the Mediterranean, geographically and politically. In a world where divisions deepen and environmental threats grow, the summit in Nice stood as a reminder that connectivity is not only about cables and roads, but about trust, vision, and a willingness to act together. Tags: Morocco france tiesPrincess Lalla HasnaaUN Ocean ConferenceUNOC-3
Morocco World
5 hours ago
- Morocco World
Macron Applauds Morocco's Leadership in Ocean Conservation at UN Conference
Rabat – At the opening of the 'Africa for the Ocean' summit in Nice, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed admiration for what he described as King Mohammed VI's strong and forward-looking commitment to building a blue economy for Africa. Speaking alongside Princess Lalla Hasnaa, who represented the Moroccan monarch at the event, Macron described the King's message as 'clear' and 'decisive' in guiding the continent toward sustainable ocean development. King Mohammed VI addressed the summit with a message urging African nations to take greater ownership of their seas, which he described as central to the continent's future. Delivered by Princess Lalla Hasnaa, the message welcomed the presence of African leaders at what the monarch called an 'unprecedented summit' focused on Africa's 30,000 kilometers of shared coastline. In his message, the King commended President Emmanuel Macron for his commitment to ocean protection and emphasized the pressing need for Africa to move beyond acknowledging the value of its marine resources to actively safeguarding and developing them. He warned that while the continent's seas hold immense promise, they remain largely untapped and insufficiently protected. At the core of the King's message was a conviction that Africa's oceans, if managed responsibly, could serve as a foundation for long-term prosperity across the continent. The summit, organized ahead of the 2025 UN Ocean Conference, brought together African leaders, policymakers, and international partners to reflect on the continent's ocean potential and the responsibilities that come with it. For Macron, Morocco's place at the helm felt natural. 'Morocco stands out on the continent,' he said, noting the country's efforts in ocean governance, its stance against plastic pollution, and its push for regional cooperation. 'These are not just policies, but signs of a clear vision,' he added. Macron reserved special words for the Atlantic Initiative, a project launched by King Mohammed VI to give landlocked African countries access to the Atlantic. 'This idea reflects a continental vision, one that doesn't leave any nation behind,' he said. He also linked this vision to past milestones, including the launch of Tanger Med two decades ago. 'What began as a bold idea is now the most important port in the Mediterranean,' he said. Looking ahead, Macron pointed to the upcoming opening of the Dakhla port as the next chapter in Morocco's ocean strategy. 'It marks more than infrastructure,' he said. 'It marks a determination to connect all of Africa to global maritime routes.' The French leader also reflected on the symbolism of the summit itself. 'It is not by accident that Morocco and France are co-hosting this event,' he said. 'We share a shoreline, a long-standing relationship, and a shared desire to face essential questions together.' Delegates explored ways to unlock investment for ocean-related infrastructure, ensure sustainable management of fish stocks, and build better ties between landlocked and coastal countries. Tags: Emmanuel MacronFrance Morocco tiesKing Mohammed VIUNOC-3
