For the fifth time, after the years 1989, 1995, 2002 and 2010, Spain will assume, from this Saturday 1er June, the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. This is provided in turn by each Member State for a period of six months.
For the time being, it is a Spain “in the middle of an electoral campaign“ which takes the rotating presidency of the EU instead of Sweden and it is therefore the president of the current Spanish government Pedro Sanchez who will begin the investiture . With the organization of the early legislative elections in Spain that he decreed himself, for next July 23, not sure that he will go all the way. In which case it would risk disrupting the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, to which the country remains very attached.
It is well known that the socialist Pedro Sanchez has the inalienable profile of an international leader and his ambition to increase Spain’s influence in the EU is most visible. Except that this sesame is today mortgaged by the voice of the Spanish people. Admittedly, the presidency of the Council of the EU is more symbolic than anything else. But big files await him however. It is also a matter of ensuring prudent management at these crucial times for the future of Europe. Spain is determined to advance the European project despite the complex context, which is characterized above all by the Ukrainian conflict. This for northern Europe, but what about the other side of the Mediterranean shore and Morocco in particular.
Nabil El Andaloussi, director of the Maghreb Center for Research and Strategic Studies, told MoroccoLatestNews in this regard, “that Spain’s accession to the rotating presidency of the European Union has a symbolic dimension, given that this responsibility is not decisive in the decisions taken at Board level”. He felt, however, that ” it is a dimension that can be invested in a sense that supports the convictions and orientations of the Spanish government which has adopted a positive position on the issue of the territorial integrity of Morocco “. The director of the Maghreb Center for Research and Strategic Studies stressed that ” Morocco’s interests may be affected negatively or positively by this presidency, and this could be within the framework of the interaction of diplomatic relations and pressure forces, and not a direct impact on the decisions of the European Union, which remain subject to the voting mechanism and not to the direction of the person presiding over the Council”.
Nevertheless, the international relations expert recalled the “ambition” of the northern neighbor to play a central role in strengthening relations between Africa and Europe by strengthening the partnership with Morocco, which he considers “an important element for Rabat to strengthen its international position through the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Also, Nabil El Andaloussi did not fail to mention “the intense conflicts at the internal Spanish level, particularly in the context of the next elections, whose expectations are in favor of the right”, noting that this factor “could weaken the defense of the Spanish government of its current convictions concerning the Moroccanness of the Sahara and the seriousness of the autonomy proposal” of the friendly country.
For his part, Dr. Abdelali Benlias, professor of public law at the Faculty of Legal, Economic and Social Sciences Souissi in Rabat, confirms that “ the presence of a friendly country at the presidency of the European Union is a voice can contribute in one way or another to clarifying subjects on which there may be ambiguity. This pushes to maintain the distinguished relations that bind this bloc with Morocco “.
However, he warned, in his statement to MoroccoLatestNews, that “ the role of the country holding the presidency of the European Union, and the margin of freedom it has in defining the union’s agenda and establishing priorities, remain debatable. Especially since its mission is to work on the implementation of the predetermined strategy of the European Union, and to reconcile the points of view of the Member States on the current issues raised during the mandate. Thus, the role of Spain remains limited to the agenda and the choices of the Union, unlike the bilateral relations which link Spain to Morocco. “.
And the University to specify, Madrid has the freedom to define its foreign policy according to its interests and those of the countries with which it deals. Morocco maintains strategic and historical relations and works to preserve and strengthen its positions on the issue of territorial integrity and the intensification of economic, commercial and cultural cooperation. “.