2023-09-01 19:34:00
King Mohammed VI arrived Friday, September 1 followingnoon, in Paris, according to Barlamane.com sources, as part of a private visit. They also evoke the possibility of a rapprochement between Morocco and France following a period of cold between the two countries because of the “stubborn policies” of President Emmanuel Macron once morest the interests of Rabat, now in favor of broader partnerships in all areas.
Our sources cite the nefarious role of “the French deep state» which are at the origin of the stalemate in relations between the two countries, regretting that French media, NGOs, as well as «a close associate of the French presidency», Stéphane Séjourné, head of the centrist group Renaissance (Renew) in Brussels, have been behind resolutions and reports hostile to Morocco. Paris, despite its “blackmail”has so far denied the existence of any crisis with Rabat, and the announced prospect of a state visit by President Emmanuel Macron to the Cherifian kingdom has been compromised.
Groping and desperate maneuvers
Beyond the vote of the European deputies orchestrated by France, Emmanuel Macron has been criticized for dragging his feet on the question of the Sahara, unlike the United States and Spain which have recognized the pure belonging of this territory. in Morocco, one of Morocco’s greatest diplomatic victories in recent years. In February, Emmanuel Macron went so far as to describe his personal relationship with King Mohammed VI as “friendly»expressing «[s]the will is to move forward with Morocco”he had assured.
Rabat reacted without frills, indicating that “relations are neither friendly nor good, any more between the two governments than between the Royal Palace and the Élysée“, according to an official source. Long before, in October 2022, Emmanuel Macron suggested in an unwelcome exchange that a visit to Morocco is scheduled, a strange outing ignoring the protocols in force.
To this sticking point is added the “visa racket”, since France decided to halve the entry permits granted to Moroccans, arguing an alleged reluctance of the kingdom to readmit its nationals in an irregular situation in the Hexagon. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, visiting Morocco, announced in December 2022 the end of the visa crisis, a decision that Rabat did not comment on.
Emmanuel Macron, in a punchy speech, rolled out an offensive diplomatic roadmap for the year 2024, supposed to shake up the foreign policy of a battered France on all fronts. In a speech lasting almost two hours, the French president mentioned the war in Ukraine and the emergence of new powers, but also the chaotic relations with Morocco and Algeria.
In this sense, he said his desire to rethink “more deeply” its partnerships with Algiers and Rabat. “I think, in fact, that we have deployed efforts in recent years with civil societies, many initiatives. But, let’s face it, the relationship is not where it should be.”he lamented.
The royal vision that Paris must consider
King Mohammed VI called, summer 2022, Morocco’s partner countries to clarify their position on the issue of the territory of Western Sahara and to support it unequivocally, in a powerful speech with much commentary. “I would like to send a clear message to everyone: the Sahara issue is the prism through which Morocco considers its international environment”declared the king in a radio-television speech on the occasion of the so-called feast of the Revolution of the king and the people, celebrating a historic episode of the anti-colonial struggle and which symbolizes the link between the monarch and his people
“It is also clearly and simply the yardstick that measures the sincerity of the friendships and the effectiveness of the partnerships that it establishes”he pointed out. “With regard to certain countries that are among our partners, traditional or new, whose positions on the Sahara issue are ambiguous, we expect them to clarify and review the substance of their position, in a way that does not lend itself to no ambiguity” warned the Cherifian sovereign. The latter did not specify to which countries his message was addressed more particularly, but the observers cited France in the first place.
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