Marruecos acusa al ‘deep state’ francés de estar detrás de la resolución del Parlamento Europeo
The resolution passed by the European Parliament against Morocco last January continues to strain relations between Rabat and certain EU member states. After strong condemnation by the Moroccan authorities and the Moroccan Parliament's announcement that it would reconsider its relations with its European counterpart, Rabat now accuses France of being behind the resolution passed by the European Parliament with 356 votes in favour, 32 against - including the Spanish Socialists - and 42 abstentions.
Lahcen Haddad, chairman of the EU-Morocco Joint Parliamentary Committee, points in particular to "part of the French deep state". "I believe that part of the deep state in France is annoyed by Morocco's security and diplomatic achievements," Haddad told a forum organised by the Moroccan news agency MAP.
The president of the Morocco-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee regretted that "a close friend of the French Presidency was one of the architects of the resolution", referring to Stéphane Séjourné, leader of the European Liberals. Haddad said he was "surprised", since Renew Europe - the European political group led by Séjourné - is a "moderate and pro-Moroccan" group and France is one of Morocco's main partners, since the two countries share "common interests".
"I hope that the French state is aware of the seriousness of what has happened", warned Haddad, who also stressed "a lack of responsibility" on the part of the countries that "are conspiring against Morocco". "This will lead to dire consequences," he added. According to Haddad, 420 attempts to pass "anti-Moroccan" amendments have been registered since 2016, as well as four attempts to push through resolutions against the Kingdom.
The statements by the president of the Morocco-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee regarding France and its role in the European Parliament's resolution come in a context in which Paris is trying to move closer to Algiers after years of disagreements. Evidence of this rapprochement was the recent trip to Paris by the Algerian army chief of staff, General Said Chanegriha. This visit was the first by a high-ranking Algerian general since independence, as AP recalls. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune himself is expected to travel to Paris later this year.
#MapActu
— Agence MAP (@MAP_Information) January 31, 2023
قرار البرلمان الأوروبي تجاه المغرب .. رئيس اللجنة البرلمانية المشتركة المغرب – الاتحاد الأوروبي يبدي استغرابه من التحول المفاجئ في موقف بعض البرلمانيين الفرنسيينhttps://t.co/V4xNStpgpZ pic.twitter.com/zewbo4whPJ
During the MAP forum, the former Moroccan Minister of Tourism reiterated that the European Parliament's resolution is "a blatant interference in judicial affairs and Morocco". "The decision denotes a renewed neo-colonial desire that despises the countries of the South and their ability to defend human rights," he said.
However, Haddad assured that Morocco will maintain its ties and partnership with the EU and its institutions, stressing that the problem has arisen "with MEPs who have always taken hostile actions against Morocco". In this sense, Haddad pointed out that the critics of Rabat who promoted and approved the resolution are the same ones who included Morocco in the 'Qatargate' "despite the absence of evidence".
القرار الأخير للبرلمان الأوروبي اتجاه المغرب ينم عن نزعة نيوكولونيالية متجددة تحتقر دول الجنوب (لحسن حداد)https://t.co/LXpAE4PRbf
— Agence MAP (@MAP_Information) January 31, 2023
La résolution du PE dénote une velléité néocoloniale méprisante envers les pays du Sud (M. Haddad)https://t.co/MMSBfcdZiw pic.twitter.com/VogillJs9t
He also linked this group of MEPs to Algeria, which since the Russian invasion of Ukraine has emerged as a new energy partner for the continent. Countries such as Italy and France have strengthened their relations with Algeria in recent months with a view to gas agreements. Haddah points out that this situation led to abstention in some and "fear" in others.
However, the former minister praised the Spanish MEPs who, according to him, "showed courage and vision for the future". "They did not want to sacrifice the strong and strategic partnership between Morocco and Spain", he explained.
#MapActu
— Agence MAP (@MAP_Information) January 25, 2023
Le Roi Felipe VI d’Espagne a souligné, mercredi à Madrid, que la prochaine Réunion de Haut Niveau entre le Maroc et l’Espagne permettra d'approfondir "les vastes relations bilatérales".https://t.co/63CKPySSxA pic.twitter.com/KWdkxA7tOc
Following the resolution, Haddad sent a letter to MEPs, reminding them that the case they addressed in the resolution "is still on trial" and therefore "interferes" with the judicial process. The European Parliament condemned the human rights and press freedom situation in Morocco, referring to the journalist Omar Radi. The resolution urges the Moroccan authorities to hold "a fair trial with all guarantees" for Radi, who was convicted in 2021 on charges of espionage and sexual assault.
Draft resolution on "situation of journalists in #Morocco, in particular Omar Radi" tabled to be discussed at @EUparliament plenary refers to a case still in trial before an independent judiciary of a partner country and thereby interferes in an ongoing judicial process @Left_EU pic.twitter.com/rPfbj7tqBi
— Lahcen Haddad, PhD (@Lahcenhaddad) January 18, 2023
Haddad stressed that Radi is being held "under ordinary law after being accused of rape", despite the fact that several European parties "have tried to make people believe in the name of human rights" that the journalist is in prison "unjustly and arbitrarily for his opinions". "As with any other trial observed by human rights NGOs, the conditions were fair," he said.
