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El Chorouk
a day ago
- Politics
- El Chorouk
'Popular Party' Insists On Madrid's Retraction Of Its Position On Western Sahara
Relations between the Moroccan regime and Spain's leading political force are heading for further escalation, with relations with Algeria and the position on the Sahrawi issue in the background, in the biggest crisis between Rabat and Madrid since Spain changed its position on the Western Sahara issue more than three years ago. Relations between Rabat and Madrid are experiencing a non-silent crisis marked by statements and counter-statements, which erupted since the conservative Spanish Popular Party strongly attacked its country's government at its general conference about a week ago, on the grounds that the ruling party's position on the Sahrawi issue harmed relations with Algeria, which it described as a 'neighboring and great country'. For the second time in a week, the Popular Party, a strong candidate to lead the Spanish government after the upcoming legislative elections, affirmed that its position on relations with Algeria and the Sahrawi issue is 'declared and known'. The party also affirmed on Monday, according to 'Europa Press agency', that in any case, Spanish foreign policy 'is not subordinate to others', in reference to what it considers the ruling party's subordination, led by Pedro Sánchez, the Prime Minister, to external influences that led to Spain changing its position on the Sahrawi issue and the resulting crises with Algeria. The official spokesperson for the Spanish Popular Party and Deputy Minister of Culture, Borja Sémper, was asked at the press conference following the meeting of the party's steering committee whether its president, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, planned to respond to the letter sent to him by the head of the Moroccan Istiqlal Party, Nizar Baraka, regarding the ambiguity of the Spanish party's position. He replied: 'Our position is declared and known, unlike the decisions taken by this government regarding (Western) Sahara, which are secret.' Although the Spanish party is not in power, even if it is a strong candidate for it, its position caused an earthquake for the Moroccan regime, which was reflected in the state of confusion that characterized Rabat's positions. It proceeded to close two customs offices in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, a clear retreat from the agreement to normalize relations between the two countries in the spring of 2022 after Sánchez changed his position on the Sahrawi issue. The 'Istiqlal Party', which is the political arm of the Moroccan regime, also attacked its Spanish counterpart because of the concluding statement of its conference, which was previously referred to, accusing it of a lack of clarity in its position on the Western Sahara issue, as well as hosting representatives of the Polisario Front. The Popular Party leader added: 'We have always expressed the same position,' stressing: 'We have always expressed the same position, and it is the position we adhere to today as well,' in a clear and explicit challenge to the Moroccan regime and its political arm, the Istiqlal Party, where he stressed that his party calls for 'respect for international law and United Nations resolutions,' knowing that United Nations resolutions call for organizing a self-determination referendum in Western Sahara, based on the ceasefire agreement signed in 1991, and the United Nations still maintains a mission to organize the referendum in Western Sahara, which is called 'MINURSO'. In a message to Pedro Sánchez's government, the spokesperson for the Popular Party (PP) said that 'our country's foreign policy is decided by our country.' Sémper added: 'It is not subject to or influenced by other countries,' in reference to the firm belief among many specialists and observers in Spain that the Sánchez government's decision to change its position on the Sahrawi issue came in the context of pressure it was subjected to by the Moroccan regime, which used the migrant card to 'subdue' Sánchez. The Popular Party leader also explained: 'We have defined our position, and we believe that Spain should define its position based on the interests of the Spanish people and our traditions, also in some areas, especially in this area.' It is worth noting that the opposition Popular Party had strongly criticized the Madrid government's change of position on the Sahrawi issue, and on many occasions led attempts to withdraw confidence, but the game of alliances prevented that. However, the involvement of Sánchez's family and his party's entourage have significantly weakened his chances of remaining at the head of the government after the upcoming legislative elections.
El Chorouk
4 days ago
- Politics
- El Chorouk
Spanish Popular Party Confuses the Moroccan Regime
A Spanish political stance critical of Madrid's involvement in the crisis that erupted with Algeria nearly three years ago has led to vehement measures and decisions taken by the Moroccan regime and some of its political wings, such as the Istiqlal Party, aimed at discouraging Spain from any rapprochement with Algeria. During its general conference last week, the Spanish conservative Popular Party (PP), the country's largest political force, affirmed its support for UN efforts to resolve the Western Sahara issue. It also denounced the position of the Pedro Sánchez government, which supports Morocco's colonial project in Western Sahara, which has been included among the territories subject to decolonisation for more than six decades. During the conference, party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo advocated for balanced relations with Algeria, a pivotal state in the North African region. The Polisario Front was also invited to participate in the conference, and its representative in Madrid, Abdallah Larabi, received a special reception, shocking the Moroccan regime. In response to this position by the conservative Popular Party in Spain, the Alawite regime in Rabat closed the two customs offices in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla. These offices were among the terms of the Rabat-Madrid agreement more than three years ago regarding the Western Sahara issue. Furthermore, Nizar Baraka, Secretary-General of the Moroccan Istiqlal Party, sent a written letter to the Secretary-General of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, demanding that he clarify his party's position on the Western Sahara issue. In the letter, the party expressed 'deep concern over the lack of clarity in the Popular Party's position on the Western Sahara issue.' The Istiqlal Party, known for its expansionist and colonialist positions, also expressed its surprise that the Spanish People's Party, 'despite its political weight and affiliation with the European People's Party (PPE),' did not support the proposals for the autonomy plan presented by the Moroccan regime in 2007, according to the letter. Commenting on the panic that gripped the Moroccan regime and its political wings following the Spanish Popular Party's stance, political analyst and researcher at the University of Seville, Mohamed Bachir Lahcen, believes that 'foreign policy is the responsibility of the Moroccan regime, and no party official can take action without the approval of the regime, which considers parties merely its political arms.' The researcher at the University of Seville explained that 'the Moroccan regime sent a message through the Istiqlal Party, an expansionist ruling party. Therefore, I believe the Moroccan regime is dissatisfied with the actions of the Spanish Popular Party, which is considered the most likely to win the upcoming elections. This would return the Spanish position on the Western Sahara issue to square one'. It is well known that the Spanish conservative Popular Party won the legislative elections held approximately two years ago. However, its failure to achieve an absolute majority enabled the ruling Socialist Party to build alliances that kept it in power. Current opinion polls indicate that it will lead the next government after the legislative elections, because the ruling Socialist Party is deeply entangled in corruption cases, both within the Prime Minister's family (his wife is implicated in a corruption case) and within the party itself, with prominent leaders also implicated in corruption scandals. Mohamed Bachir Lahcen believes that 'the Moroccan regime's anger with the Spanish Popular Party is also due to its invitation to the Polisario Front's representative in Spain, Abdallah Larabi, to attend the conference and sit among the party's senior leaders. This is a provocative tactic aimed at threatening the Spanish authorities from changing their position on the Western Sahara issue, after the Moroccan regime believed that matters had been settled'. Regarding the Spanish party's options for dealing with Algeria and the Western Sahara issue if it comes to power, the researcher at the University of Seville, Spain, confirmed that 'it will not succumb to blackmail and will strive to build a balanced relationship with Algeria, unlike the government of Pedro Sánchez, which eliminated the accumulations of Madrid's historical policy of neutrality on this sensitive issue. It is worth noting that the Popular Party had strongly criticised the Sánchez government's shift in position on Western Sahara more than three years ago, which, as is well known, caused a severe crisis with Algeria'. Mohamed Bachir Lahcen explained that the Moroccan regime is keen to ensure that Madrid's positions are in line with its decisions regarding the Western Sahara issue and relations with Algeria. This is something the conservative Popular Party has not done, unlike the Socialist Party, whose history is replete with betrayals of the Western Sahara issue since the 1980s'. Bachir Lahcen concluded that 'the government of Pedro Sánchez must explain to the Spanish people today why the Moroccan regime closed the customs crossings in the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, even as it repeatedly speaks of good relations with Rabat. Sánchez is deeply embarrassed in the eyes of public opinion in his country, because what happened is considered a major insult to the government in Madrid and the Spanish people after this move.'
