In Spain, the reversal in the official position on Western Sahara made by the head of government Pedro Sanchez in March 2022 still does not pass.
Even within the coalition government staff, ministers are keen to distance themselves from Pedro Sanchez’s position in favor of the Moroccan autonomy plan for occupied Western Sahara. This is the case of the vice president of the Spanish government, Yolanda Diaz.
Yolanda Diaz skipped the trip of the Spanish government delegation to Rabat for the high-level meeting with Morocco last week along with other members of the Executive opposed to Sanchez’s new position over Western Sahara.
The Minister of Labor and Social Economy reiterated her opposition to Pedro Sanchez’s decision on Western Sahara. Questioned at the congress of deputies, Diaz explained her absence at the meeting in Rabat.
“It seems to me that my position on the Sahara and Morocco is known and we would like, yes, that within the framework of the United Nations and with respect for human rights, we seek a just outcome,” Diaz replied to this subject.
The position of the Vice-President of the Spanish Government is in line with Spain’s traditional position since the start of the conflict until the unexpected turnaround in 2022.
“I believe that is what the thousands of Spanish families who welcome Sahrawi children every summer want, take care of them and watch over their rights,” she added.
Pedro Sanchez “humiliated” by Morocco
Pedro Sanchez’s position on Western Sahara is increasingly untenable. His leftist allies in the government are not abandoning their support for a solution to the Saharawi conflict within the framework of the United Nations. Some of them did not hesitate to publicly express their support for the struggle of the Saharawi people for their independence.
On the opposition side, the Vox party believes that Sanchez has been afraid of Morocco since he was eavesdropped on by Moroccan services in the context of the Pegasus scandal.
Jorge Buxadé, vice-president of the far-right party, is convinced that Pedro Sanchez’s “submission” is the result of the blackmail he is undergoing from Morocco.
The opposition also highlighted the fact that Pedro Sanchez was not received by the King of Morocco during his visit to Rabat on the occasion of the meeting presented as “high level”. Sanchez had to settle for a phone call with Mohamed VI, reports the Spanish press.
The former head of the Spanish government, José Maria Aznar denounced what he described as “humiliation” concerning the treatment reserved for Pedro Sanchez in Morocco, deploring the fact that the current President of the Executive “let himself go”.
