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In a resolution voted on January 19, the European Parliament denounces the situation of freedom of expression and the media in Morocco. This vote follows revelations of possible corruption of MEPs by the Cherifian kingdom.
The crisis is brewing between Morocco and the European Union. After the revelation of “Marocgate”, and the opening of an investigation by the Belgian courts into alleged cases of corruption of MEPs by the Cherifian kingdom, the European Parliament last week voted an extremely rare resolution – the first since 1996 concerning Morocco – denouncing the situation of freedom of expression and freedom of the media.
Monday, January 23, the Moroccan Parliament decided to respond. After a plenary meeting, he announced that he would reassess his relations with his European counterpart. Implicated in this “Marocgate”, the Moroccan co-president of the EU-Morocco joint commission had so far remained silent since the beginning of this affair.
Lahcen Haddad also warns the European Parliament, leaving the threat of a Moroccan withdrawal from this joint commission hanging over him, and defends himself against any corruption of MEPs.
► To read also: Morocco: the Moroccan Parliament rejects the “interference” of the European Parliament
« There are a lot of amalgams, there is a case of corruption in the Belgian justice system and we are taking this opportunity to try to settle accounts with Moroccohe says on RFI. The answer came from the Moroccan Parliament because it is the European Parliament that interferes in the Moroccan judicial system. Especially since we are bound by a partnership between the European Parliament and the Moroccan Parliament ».
“The European Parliament should, should have met with us”
« The European Parliament should, should have met with us as a joint committee, challenged us, talked to us about these kinds of things, continues Lahcen Haddad. The question of journalists, we can talk about it. If friends, if colleagues in the European Parliament do not consider these mechanisms to be the appropriate mechanisms for discussing certain things such as human rights, the rights of journalists, the issue of corruption, what is the point of having this kind of institution? »
Lahcen Haddad reiterates in passing that Morocco has never given gifts or money to any MEP to influence the debates in the European Parliament. ” Since I have been President of the Commission, there has never been this kind of thing. We are in advocacy. We can influence our friends, it’s importanthe assures. We are in lobbying, we are in advocacy. We are there in a work of construction in relation to sentences which are very important both for Europe and for Morocco ».