Sarkozy Urges France to Support Morocco’s Claim on Western Sahara

"France should now take a clear stand in favor of the Moroccanness of the Western Sahara," writes Nicolas Sarkozy in his new book, noting "the gradual deterioration of Franco-Moroccan relations over the past decade." According to the former French president, this deterioration is explained by "the stubbornness" of his two successors (François Hollande and Emmanuel Macron, ed.) to want to "overplay and over-invest the relationship with Algeria" at all costs. Emphasizing "the Algerian tropism of the president" Emmanuel Macron, he states that this will "bring him many disappointments." This tropism, which stems from "good intentions," risks turning the Moroccans away from France, with the Algerians being "ulcerated" by the attitude of their neighbor.

"In this game, we risk losing everything. We will not gain the trust of Algeria and will lose that of Morocco. It is a dangerous bet, moreover doomed to failure," warns Sarkozy. Stating that Morocco is a "brotherly country," an "equal of France," which has become "a great African power," he points out that "President Macron has not always found the words or gestures that the Moroccans were expecting." "I have always loved Morocco," adds the former Minister of the Interior under Jacques Chirac, explaining that of the three North African nations, it is the one closest to France.

Nicolas Sarkozy also praised King Mohammed VI, "who will go down in history as one of the greatest Moroccan sovereigns." The king is "a man of broad culture and dazzling intellectual finesse. How many times have I been impressed by his ability to anticipate events and keep the course of his vision for the kingdom!" he writes, praising "the luck that Morocco has in having a king like Mohammed VI, whose personality is "unique in the world of crowned heads and heads of state." And he adds: "He is a man whom I have never ceased to admire and respect."