What Secrets is Sanchez Afraid of Being Exposed?
BY: Hana Saada
ALGIERS- In a startling twist of events, the Spanish caretaker government led by Pedro Sanchez, who suffered a defeat in the recent elections, finds itself entangled in a web of secrecy surrounding messages directed towards the Moroccan monarch, Mohammed VI. These messages, concerning the Western Sahara dispute and the status of Ceuta and Melilla, suggest the existence of concealed information that could have far-reaching implications for Sanchez’s political future.
Despite mounting public demands, beginning with parliamentary inquiries rooted in the Spanish constitution, and escalating to legal proceedings that granted exclusivity to the “El Debate” newspaper to unveil the contents of these messages, Pedro Sanchez and his Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, continue to evade transparency.
The first of these undisclosed messages pertains to a speech made by the Spanish Prime Minister in March of the preceding year (2022), where he expressed support for the Moroccan regime’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara. This stance resulted in Algeria severing diplomatic ties with Madrid and imposing economic sanctions, causing significant turmoil for Sanchez’s administration.
The second message revolves around a letter dispatched by the Spanish Foreign Ministry to its Moroccan counterpart, registering discontent with the European Union’s decision to recognize Ceuta and Melilla as the Union’ southern borders, a move that unambiguously asserts the Spanish claim over these cities.
Spanish media, notably the “El Debate” newspaper, has reported Madrid’s persistent refusal to disclose the message content directed to the Moroccan king. The caretaker government under Sanchez’s leadership clings to this confidentiality, citing concerns over potential negative impacts on the Madrid-Rabat relationship. Similarly, the Spanish Foreign Ministry holds back the contents of its letter, fearing repercussions on bilateral ties.
While Sanchez’ speech to the United Nations in September 2022 appeared to backtrack on his support for Morocco’s autonomy plan, the prime minister remained tight-lipped about the message’s true contents. The fear of further political fallout from the unresolved election results in November led Sanchez to maintain secrecy surrounding these messages, potentially to safeguard his political standing.
The Spanish government’s obstinate stance in keeping these letters confidential alludes to hidden secrets that could trigger a crisis within the Moroccan regime. Speculation arose last year that Morocco might have conceded control over Ceuta and Melilla to Spain in exchange for the latter’s endorsement of the autonomy plan regarding Western Sahara. This maneuver was aimed at blocking a decades-old UN resolution calling for a self-determination referendum for the Sahrawi people.
Further reinforcing this conjecture is Morocco’s vocal objection to the EU’s acknowledgment of the two occupied cities as its southern borders. This move appears to be a way for Rabat to quell domestic discontent, sending a subtle message to the Spanish government that retracting support for the autonomy plan would equate to recognizing Morocco’s sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla.
As Spain grapples with these hidden negotiations and their potential implications, the question looms large: What incentives did the Moroccan regime offer Sanchez in return for his endorsement of the autonomy scheme, and is this partnership more than mere rhetoric? The answers to these enigmatic queries could very well reshape the landscape of Spanish politics and the delicate balance in the region.
