The Diplomat
A group of experts in security, defense and international relations has accused Morocco of having tried to influence the recent local elections in Melilla and has warned that Rabat will continue to pressure Spain when the next government is formed, “whatever color it may be”.
This was stated by Manuel Torres Soriano, professor of Political Science at the Pablo de Olavide University; Florentino Portero, historian and specialist in international relations; and Luis de la Corte, professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid and director of the area of Strategic Studies and Intelligence of the Institute of Forensic and Security Sciences, during an event organized last Wednesday by the Institute of Security and Culture.
During the meeting, the experts analyzed the use of hybrid warfare strategies by Morocco over the Autonomous Cities of Ceuta and Melilla and agreed, therefore, that Spain must define a solid defense strategy and a firm foreign policy that prevents Morocco from continuing to question its territorial integrity and the legitimacy of the democratic system.
“The most probable thing is that there will be a new very important Moroccan pulse, shortly after the formation of the new Spanish Executive, whatever color it may be”, affirmed Florentino Portero. “We have enough information” to confirm that Morocco is behind the alleged vote-buying by Coalición por Melilla, he assured. “Morocco knew about it, but has not warned us because it is the great beneficiary,” he warned.
According to Manuel Torres Soriano, “the mere perception of interference has provoked an image of possible electoral delegitimization.” “If that party had won the elections in Melilla, the perception of the citizens would have been that the elections would have been corrupted, and this is a very appetizing scenario for Morocco. Our neighbor has drawn a very clear lesson for future elections,” he added.
Coalición por Melilla (which emerged in 1995 after a split from the PSOE of Melilla) has been accused of a case of vote-buying in the Assembly elections of May 28, which has resulted in the opening of an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the arrest of nine people allegedly linked to the plot, including the number three on its electoral list, Mohamed Ahmed Al-lal. This is not the first time that this party has been investigated for a similar case. In 2018, the former president of Ceuta and member of the Coalition, Mustafa Aberchan, was sentenced to two years in prison for a vote-buying case in 2008. In Melilla there have been several similar cases in the past involving Coalición por Melilla, PSOE and PP.
At the same event, Luis de la Corte warned that the change in Spain’s position on Western Sahara is not interpreted in Morocco as a true State policy and, in fact, “the Moroccan regime thinks that the new position can be reversed at any time and therefore does not believe it has to change its policy of confrontation with respect to the sovereignty of Ceuta and Melilla”.
In the opinion of Florentino Portero, the change of position of the Government of Pedro Sánchez on the Saharawi conflict is “illegal” and is the result of a reaction to a specific situation. “The King of Morocco let him know that he could place 10,000 young people on Spanish soil in one day, and that he could place another 10,000 the next day. This is the game we are playing,” he declared. For his part,Torres Soriano said he was convinced that Morocco “is not going to stop until it gets Ceuta, Melilla and the rocky outcrops.” “But it has never deceived us, we are the ones who practice self-deception. We have to strengthen the relationship with Algeria and our discourse against Morocco”, he affirmed.
