Feijóo dissociates himself from Sánchez’s « clandestine letter »

Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, PP, Pedro Sanchez,

Feijóo holds surprise meeting with Morocco’s prime minister and dissociates himself from Sánchez’s « clandestine letter » on the Sahara

The president of the Popular Party (PP) takes advantage of a congress in the Netherlands to transfer to Rabat that, if he governs, he will not assume Sánchez’s commitments without consensus

The president of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has arranged a surprise meeting with the PM of Morocco, Aziz Ajanuch, in Rotterdam, as confirmed by himself upon his arrival in the Dutch city. In a highly unusual bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Congress of the European People’s Party, Feijóo has assured that his intention is for Rabat to know what his position will be if he reaches the Government and is to address the issue of the Sahara within the resolutions of the UN and with the consensus that the PM, Pedro Sánchez, has not sought. Does not assume the Sánchez letter announced by Mohamed VI.

Feijóo stands out from the letter in this way: « The problem of Western Sahara cannot be solved with a clandestine letter. We must put light on the problem of the Western Sahara, stenographers, transparency, and international agreements. That is exactly the opposite of what he [Sánchez] has done the Government. The only thing that the secrecy to solve an international problem causes more problems, more tensions, more uncertainty and less responsibility towards the Saharawi people, towards Morocco and towards the UN ».

In exchange for not handing over the Western Sahara like Sánchez, Feijóo assumes a commitment and that is not to hide actions with POLISARIO from Morocco. « The first thing we have is to return again to seriousness in foreign policy. Foreign policy is not an occurrence. Foreign policy is not a necessity due to a breach, such as not notifying Morocco of an action with the leader of POLISARIO that enters Spain illegally, sponsored by the government. A government cannot introduce a citizen illegally into its territory, » he reproached.

The fact that the leader of the opposition does not assume the commitments that Mohamed VI took for granted after receiving Sánchez’s letter may have future consequences both in relations with Morocco and with Algeria during an energy crisis. This meeting marks the international premiere of the PP leader who has filled his agenda in Rotterdam with other prime ministers from his political force and with the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen.

« Power and counters »

Feijóo has thus described what his policy with Morocco would be if he is PM: « What I can assure the Moroccan PM, first, that I am not going to deceive him, nor am I going to deceive my country. Second, that everything I am going to try to reach a consensus so that it has a vocation for permanence in the relations between Morocco and Spain, Spain, and Morocco, which are not the relations of a government that is there for a time, but rather the relations of two States. Third, to tell him very clearly that in the field of UN resolutions we can agree on many things ». On the other hand, « outside the UN resolutions, the pacts are not going to produce international effects. »

« I am convinced that the Moroccan PM will understand me, because the important thing between two countries is that there are no deceptions, that there are no disloyalties and that there are no clandestine letters. We are going to do this clearly and with power and counters. And in the Lower Chamber », assured the head of the opposition.

PP sources have assured at the end of the meeting that the Moroccan PM has extended an invitation to Feijóo to visit Morocco. « The president Feijóo has accepted and will try to include this visit on his agenda throughout this year, » they say in his surroundings.

El Mundo, 31 mai 2022

#Morocco #Spain #WesternSahara #PedroSanchez #Feijoo