Moroccan Regime Grapples with European Justice Blow, While Promoting Fantasized Alternatives

BY: Dr. Hana Saada

Algiers, Algeria | October 7th, 2024 — The Moroccan regime, alongside its political and media machinery, continues to reel from the European Court of Justice’s recent ruling, which unequivocally dismantled Morocco’s claims of sovereignty over the occupied Sahrawi territories. This landmark, non-appealable decision struck down the fishing agreement between Rabat and the 27 member states of the European Union (EU), exposing the legal and political void surrounding Morocco’s occupation of Western Sahara. Yet, instead of seeking legitimate resolutions, the Moroccan authorities have resorted to a campaign of disinformation, distracting public opinion with implausible promises of alternative deals with non-EU countries.

Rather than addressing the profound political and legal implications of the European Court’s ruling, Morocco’s focus has shifted toward trivial and misleading narratives. The regime has attempted to downplay the blow, suggesting it is a mere bureaucratic hurdle—framing the issue as one of EU fishing rights in Western Saharan waters without the consent of the territory’s sole recognized representative, the Polisario Front. In doing so, the Moroccan government conspicuously avoids acknowledging the devastating blow this decision has dealt to its expansionist ambitions.

Faced with the collapse of this agreement, Rabat has turned to the realm of fantasy, with regime-aligned media outlets and officials touting purported negotiations with non-European powers, such as Russia and China. By hinting at future deals with these countries, Morocco seeks to create the illusion of economic resilience, attempting to shift attention from the reality of losing a critical EU partnership. However, this diversion appears hollow. International observers and legal experts have made it clear that the European ruling is not solely an economic setback—it carries grave geopolitical consequences, fundamentally challenging Morocco’s claims of sovereignty over the Western Sahara.

One particularly farcical aspect of the Moroccan response comes from the regime’s so-called economic experts. In an astonishing display of disingenuous reasoning, Mohamed Al-Jedri, a regime-affiliated figure, suggested that the true victim of the European Court’s ruling is not Morocco, but the European Union itself. Al-Jedri went so far as to claim that Europe would face an agricultural supply crisis as a result of losing Moroccan products, a claim that stands in direct contradiction to the realities of the decision’s implications. His assertion that the ruling is not final, despite its clearly binding nature, reveals the desperation of the Moroccan regime’s narrative.

Experts in international law have pointed out that the legal ramifications of the European Court’s decision extend far beyond economic matters. The ruling signifies a major shift in the global perception of the Western Sahara conflict, undermining decades of Moroccan diplomatic efforts to cement its control over the region. The decision has struck at the heart of Morocco’s anxieties by reaffirming that the kingdom holds no legitimate sovereignty over the Sahrawi territories—a conclusion that drastically undermines the positions of key European allies, such as France and Spain, who have supported Morocco’s claims.

The ripple effects of this ruling are expected to resonate far beyond Rabat. European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, will now face significant political and moral pressures. As the decision of the European Court of Justice is legally binding, it stands immune to political manipulation, leaving these leaders in an increasingly untenable position. For Morocco, this judicial ruling represents a monumental challenge to its strategy of leveraging economic and political partnerships to gain international legitimacy for its occupation of Western Sahara.

Furthermore, the ruling has placed a stark legal and ethical barrier in front of European nations that have either tacitly or explicitly supported Morocco’s territorial claims. The Moroccan regime’s ability to exert diplomatic pressure on European states—often through economic blackmail—now faces unprecedented resistance, as the European judiciary’s decision solidifies the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination, as stipulated in the United Nations resolution of 1991.

Ultimately, this legal defeat at the hands of the European Court represents a significant setback for Morocco, not just diplomatically but strategically. Its attempts to distract its population with claims of alternative agreements with nations like Russia and China only serve to illustrate the desperation of a regime caught off guard by the clarity of international law. While the Moroccan regime continues to propagate illusions of new alliances, the core truth remains: the battle over Western Sahara is not a matter of lost revenue or resources, but a legal and moral struggle that Morocco is rapidly losing on the international stage.

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