Moroccan Senate President Retracts Comments on Ceuta and Melilla Amid Backlash

In a statement to the Goud website, Mayara backtracked after "the Moroccan press, especially that close to power", severely criticized his remarks on Ceuta and Melilla during a meeting with women from his party, Istiqlal, a member of the governing coalition. The President of the Senate may have been discreetly rebuked by the Royal Palace, as have other politicians who have spoken on certain aspects of Morocco’s foreign policy, which falls under the exclusive competence of King Mohammed VI, reports El Confidencial.

Mayara’s statements are creating tensions between Spain and Morocco, which for the time being maintain good diplomatic relations. "Who incited you to embark on these dangerous diplomatic games?", wonders the newspaper Barlamane, which believes that Mayara "is only doing a service, we don’t know if it’s free or paid, to the enemies of Morocco, particularly Algeria and France". According to the media, these two countries are trying to sabotage the good relations between Rabat and Madrid.

"This incursion of a high representative of the State into a domain reserved for the king [foreign policy] has aroused the indignation of the Spanish press and annoyed the head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sanchez, and his Executive, who multiply friendly gestures towards Morocco," analyzes for its part Maghreb Intelligence. The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, reacted on Monday to Mayara’s remarks, firmly recalling that "Ceuta and Melilla are as Spanish as Zamora or Palencia and there is nothing more to say about it".

For Hespress, Mayara "committed a crime of lese-majesty" by addressing a foreign policy issue. "With this barrage of media blows against Mayara, they have probably wanted to spare President Sanchez this bad brew by giving him arguments to respond to his detractors," argues a retired Moroccan diplomat. Mayara specified that the two autonomous cities should be "liberated" without the use of arms, without blackmail and through negotiation. A reflection shared by a large part of the Moroccan authorities who nevertheless believe that the moment is badly chosen for such declarations.