Belgium’s MR Party Leader Pushes for Recognition of Moroccan Sahara

"It is now obvious that the sovereignty and administration of Western Sahara is effectively and legitimately in the hands of Morocco," declared Georges-Louis Bouchez during his visit to Tetouan, in northern Morocco, last weekend. He was invited by a group of Belgian entrepreneurs (Ultra) to give a conference, reports La Libre. He recalls that he visited Laayoune three years ago, as well as Dakhla. "And I had the opportunity to see for myself that it is a land of development, peace, and political stability," he said.

During this visit, the MR president announced the submission of a text to the federal Parliament "which will aim to recognize Morocco’s international sovereignty over the Sahara, as well as the autonomy plan developed by Morocco." "Through this approach, I hope to gather a majority of other political parties to move forward, positively, without forgetting certain claims of neighboring countries (Editor’s note: the territory is also claimed by the Polisario Front independence movement, supported by Algeria)," he added.

This is not the first time Bouchez has recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara. During the 2024 election campaign, he had already clearly expressed it. By adopting this position, the MR seeks to develop ties with Morocco, and above all, to appeal to Belgian-Moroccan voters. The Moroccan community in Belgium counts hundreds of thousands of nationals whose electoral weight, particularly in Brussels, is significant.

During the last election campaign, the MR had presented candidates from diverse backgrounds, members of the Belgian-Moroccan community in particular. Five deputies of Moroccan origin were elected, but they have not been up to par like their compatriots, the deputies of Moroccan origin, elected on the lists of left-wing parties.