Mohammed VI rejects Spanish pressure and says the Ceuta migration cooperation model has reached its limits

The king's speech

Mohammed VI addressed both chambers of parliament on Friday at the opening of the new legislature, which followed elections held on 23 September. It was his first public comment on Spain since the Ceuta crisis, although he did not name the city, according to Europa Press and El Confidencial. He described the partnership as a sovereign choice and said it cannot be conditioned by outside pressure, while criticising 'irresponsible' statements from certain political and media circles and their 'instrumentalization' of the situation. El Mundo reported that he appeared physically weakened, walking with a cane and speaking in a faint voice.

We affirm that the partnership is a sovereign choice and a voluntary commitment, which cannot be subject to any pressure or threat, nor to any blackmail.

The king also acknowledged 'important advances' in bilateral cooperation, including on the fight against irregular immigration. He warned of 'important challenges' tied to outdated legal provisions and court decisions he described as far removed from reality. According to the quoted remarks, these make it harder to repatriate minors and people who falsely claim refugee status, and they feed the appetite of criminal networks.

Ceuta and the migration model

Between 30 and 31 July, migrants entered Ceuta from Morocco by swimming or on foot. The figures differ by source: RTBF put the number above 70,000, while ABC and Europa Press cited more than 80,000. RTBF reports that more than a hundred of them died, mainly at sea, according to authorities in Madrid and Rabat. Most have since returned to Morocco, but several thousand remain in Ceuta, where RTBF describes violence and near-daily protests by residents.

On migration, the king said the current model of cooperation has reached its limits. El Confidencial quoted him directly.

The current model of cooperation on this matter has reached its limits, as clearly demonstrated by the recurring crises.

He announced that Morocco will present its European Union partners with a document setting out a clear and practical strategic vision, with a new orientation on migration and co-development. RTBF reports that he gave no further details about the document's contents.

Spain's response and the royal visit

The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an official statement, and its head, Naser Burita, had pointed to the PP over its position on the Ceuta crisis and Morocco's role, according to ABC and Europa Press. The king did not name the party in his speech, which El Confidencial described as an attack on the PP without naming it. Spanish King Felipe VI is scheduled to visit Ceuta and Melilla on 13 and 14 October, a trip the Moroccan king did not mention, according to El Confidencial and El País. El Confidencial reads that omission as a sign that Moroccan displeasure may be milder than in November 2007, when Mohammed VI recalled his ambassador to Spain, Omar Azziman, for consultations after King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía first visited the two cities.

Domestic politics

Fátima Ezzahra Mansouri, the prime minister designated by the king, appears to be leaning toward a centre-left coalition government, according to analysts in the Moroccan press cited by El País. Her Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), a centrist and liberal force, won the most seats in the elections with 97 of 395. On Wednesday night she met Istiqlal secretary general Nizar Baraka, whose party controls a group of 65 deputies, to close a second round of talks with parliamentary parties.