“I would return to Spain’s previous position with the Sahara.” “Morocco is a dictatorship.” The words of the second vice president, Yolanda Diaz, in an interview broadcast on Sunday they have given talk. They have not sat well in the socialist ranks. Surely neither in the neighboring country and we will have to wait if its authorities pronounce themselves in any way.
It is precisely the relations with the Alaouite kingdom that are once again placed at the forefront of politics this week. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchezgoes to the Congress of Deputies for an appearance that formally includes the request for explanations, registered by the PP, on relations with Morocco.
“It is not the position of this party or this government. Our relations with Morocco have become very clear, especially after the High Level Meeting (RAN) that covers very important issues for both countries”, publicly answered the spokesperson for the socialist leadership in Ferraz, Pilar Alegría when asked about her assessment of According to sources consulted by this outlet, the Foreign Ministry headed by José Manuel Albares endorses the words of the socialist leader.
“The position of the Government of Spain in its relationship with Morocco is clearly explained in all its points in the declaration of April 7 and in the joint declaration of the RAN. These statements (by Díaz) are on an individual basis. There may be opinions from other political groups, but what is clear is that the way in which the government approaches its relations with its neighborhood is one of cooperation, mutual respect and responsibility,” Albares said in statements to the media from Strasbourg when asked about this matter.
The one who has received the statements of the vice president well has been the Polisario Front. The delegate in Spain of the Saharawi organization, Abdulah Arabi, highlighted this in a Twitter message. “The clarity and firmness with which Yolanda Díaz pronounces on Western Sahara is appreciated,” he said.
Díaz made these statements in an interview with the journalist Jordi Évole in The sixth. The statements about macho attitudes in general politics have also been widely commented, something that also includes Pedro Sanchez and Pablo Iglesias. Something that has also been emphatically rejected from the PSOE.
The Moroccan official press echoes
In Morocco, several media had already echoed these statements on Monday. An example is the publication rue20, in Spanish and with a strong link with the Moroccan ruling party. In a cover article, Díaz’s words stand out and contrast them with the PP’s request for explanations.
“A blunder by the vice president second of the Spanish Government, Yolanda Díaz, towards the foreign policy of her country and her Government by accusing Morocco of being a dictatorship without evidence or logic”, indicates the beginning of the text.
Other digital media in Spanish such as Marruecom It also carries the words of the vice president on its cover. “To win votes, the new far-left coalition will try to provoke Morocco to seduce a radical voterdivided between Podemos and Sumar by Yolanda Díaz”, says one of the parts of the article. The text has also been published in French in media such as Yabiladi.
Díaz declined to travel to the High Level Meeting
Díaz’s position, like that of the rest of Unidas Podemos, has been very critical since it became known a little over a year ago. the letter that Sánchez sent to Mohamed VI. The distance has also been publicly and conspicuously evidenced on different occasions. Also with practically all the parliamentary forces that criticize the turn of the Government in the historical position of Spain on the Saharawi conflict by endorsing Morocco’s autonomy plans.
The most representative distance between Díaz and Sánchez was undoubtedly the rejection of the Vice President and Minister of Labor to attend the aforementioned RAN, held at the beginning of February in Rabat. When Sánchez’s turn was made known, Díaz criticized that the decision had been made “with great opacity” and described it as “incoherent”. “In a coalition government, the substantive issues are held and must be shared, especially in the face of a decision of this caliber,” he said.
More recent were some statements by Díaz in Congress, precisely asked about his absence from the bilateral summit with Morocco. “It seems to me that regarding the Sahara and Morocco my position is known and we would like, yes, that in the United Nations framework and respecting human rights let’s seek a fair solution. I think this is what thousands of Spanish families want who welcome Saharawi children every summer, take care of them and watch over their rights”, he highlighted then.
