Far-Right Vox Party Urges Spain to Demand Moroccan Recognition of Ceuta and Melilla

Faced with the "Moroccan attacks on national sovereignty", Vox invites the Spanish Executive to work for the "explicit and unconditional recognition by the Kingdom of Morocco of the Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta, Melilla, the Chafarinas Islands, the rocks of Al Hoceima and Vélez de la Gomera and the islet of Perejil", reports Ceuta Al Dia, recalling that this initiative follows that of June 2022, rejected in December by the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) and its coalition partners during a debate in the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The new proposal from Vox insists that "the Spanish character of Ceuta began with the Portuguese conquest in 1415 and with the unification of the two Iberian monarchies in 1580" and that "the Spanish character of Melilla appeared when it was incorporated into the Crown of Castile in 1497". Moreover, "Article 3 of the 1860 Peace and Friendship Treaty and the 1956 Spanish-Moroccan Joint Declaration recognize both the Spanish sovereignty of Ceuta and Melilla and the independence of Morocco, without any formal reservation formulated on either occasion by the Alaouite kingdom," notes the party of Santiago Abascal.

Vox denounces the repeated actions of Morocco aimed at annexing these "Spanish cities, islands and rocks located on the African coast" and having "incontestable legal titles of Spanish sovereignty", evoking a "disrespectful attitude of Morocco towards Spain". The far-right formation disapproves of the fact that Morocco treats Ceuta and Melilla as "occupied cities" and considers them "Moroccan". To put an end to this "constant provocation" of Morocco, which has not had the "energetic response desired" from successive Spanish governments, Vox demands that the Executive take "urgent measures to protect national sovereignty and the integrity of the nation".