On a visit to Morocco, where he was born, French politician Jean-Luc Melenchon leading the La France Insoumise (LFI) party judged that “relations between France and Morocco must improve” as he called on France to “turn the page on arrogance”.
His visit to Morocco, taking place in political turmoil with France garnered media attention, as he went to the Al Haouz earthquake-affected areas.
He stressed that he saw things published in the French press during the period of tragedy that went in the direction of deepening the problems, even though it was a period that called for getting rid of everything that was malicious and negative.
French media outlets stirred controversy post-quake in an attempt to politicize Morocco’s aid refusal, as the kingdom had sufficient help coming from several countries.
In the same light, Melenchon said “The behavior of many French media outlets does not respect others and devotes an exaggerated discourse. There are those who still consider that they have the authority to provide lessons to others, and this is not true.”
Further explaining his stance on the situation, he said that he is fully aware of how Morocco was able to deal with the COVID-19 crisis, “but the earthquake is at a higher level in terms of destruction. In France, we have to learn, and if there is a place where we can learn, it is here.”
Melenchon, as read on RTBF, considered that France had “not always shone with its sense of relevance and this resulted in difficulties which, in (his) opinion, could have been avoided”.
In order for relations to improve, the French politician urges that government policies between the two countries and between the Moroccan and French people should not be confused.
He emphasizes that there is a sizable Moroccan community in France and that there are many French residents in Morocco who have a lot in common and should be invested in.
In response to press questions on the Moroccan Sahara, the French leftist leader considered that “this issue is sensitive and important, and occupies a significant place in the conscience of Moroccans who remember the Green March.”
In an effort to dispel any doubt regarding his support for the Polisario Front, he called Moroccan diplomacy “effective” and emphasized that the LFI party has no institutional ties to any other parties than the Moroccan democratic parties.
The same spokesman stated that “the United States of America’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, and then Spain and Israel, changed the perception that the world had about the importance of this issue,” hoping that “France would take these aforementioned positions into consideration and understand the circumstance.”
He encourages taking into consideration Morocco’s autonomy plan in times of current policies.