European Parliament Escalates Tensions with Morocco over Corruption and Human Rights

In addition to the accusations leveled against Morocco following the eruption of the corruption scandal rocking the European Parliament, MEPs adopted on January 19 a resolution noting the deterioration of human rights in the kingdom. On January 23, the Moroccan Parliament responds: it adopts a resolution which provides, among other things, for submitting its relations with the European Parliament to a "thorough evaluation".

The European Parliament is preparing other actions targeting Morocco. A meeting of the Conference of Presidents of the Strasbourg Assembly, which brings together the group leaders of the different political groups of the European institution, should be held on February 9. The meeting should give birth to a decision: the conference will be called upon to rule on the request of about thirty MEPs who wish that representatives of Moroccan interests no longer have access to the premises of the European Parliament, reports Le Figaro. A decision already applied to representatives of Qatari interests.

Lahcen Haddad, co-chair of the EU-Morocco Joint Commission, is saddened by this situation. "I don’t believe the European Parliament is made to give lessons around the world. It is made to manage the affairs of Europeans. We have gone beyond the time when Europeans give lessons to people in the South. We must respect our institutions," he says, also denouncing a "persecution" against Morocco. "We don’t understand this persecution, especially from our French friends, with whom we share so many things," he points out, thus referring to the group of liberals (Renew), chaired by the pro-Macron MEP Stéphane Séjourné, who largely supported the resolution.

According to another source, the rapprochement made since the summer between France and Algeria would explain these actions. "The damage in the Franco-Moroccan relationship is already done. President Macron went to Algeria in August. In October, he sent Élisabeth Borne and 15 ministers there. General Saïd Chengriha was in Paris on Tuesday. And Renew massively voted for this resolution of the European Parliament. That’s really a lot," this source lists.