US Naval Base Relocation to Morocco Sparks Concern in European Parliament

The author of the correspondence, the Spanish MEP José Ramon Bauza from the center-right party Ciudadanos, has written to the European Commission to ask for financial assistance to upgrade the base’s infrastructure. Ramon Bauza wants to eventually convince the United States to renew the operating agreement for this base, which expires in May 2021.

Madrid, in doing so, does not want to see the American warships move to the Ksar Sghir base, in the Strait of Gibraltar, north of Morocco, especially since the White House had "still not submitted an official request to extend the presence of the US Navy at the Rota base". Continuing his explanations, the MEP believes that "Spain has neglected its armed forces and its transatlantic relations for several years, while Morocco has intensified arms purchases from the United States, thus strengthening its influence with Washington".

According to him, the US Navy should maintain its presence in Rota [...], not only because of the base’s contribution to the region’s economy, but because of the importance of remaining a priority partner for the United States in the face of Moroccan attempts to sideline his country. For the record, the Moroccan naval base of Ksar Sghir has been a source of concern for the Spanish military since the start of its construction in 2008, especially after Morocco has quadrupled its surface area so that it can also accommodate US Navy submarines.

This MEP is not making his first attempt. He had already tried, last April, to sabotage an arms contract concluded by the kingdom with the United States, arguing that the weapons purchased by Rabat constituted "a danger for Spain".