TSA.dz.- Relations between Morocco and France, already chilly since the discovery of the spying on President Emmanuel Macron’s phone, have deteriorated further after the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning attacks on freedoms in the kingdom.
The resolution, voted on Thursday 19 January, was proposed by the Renew Europe group, which includes French MEPs from Emmanuel Macron’s party.
The resolution also criticises Morocco for “abusing” the use of sex crime charges against independent journalists, several of whom have been sentenced to long prison terms.
The resolution also condemned the role of Moroccan services in bribing MEPs to influence European foreign policy. The scandal broke a few weeks ago and the Belgian judicial investigation, which is still ongoing, was able to formally determine the involvement of the DGED (foreign intelligence) and Moroccan diplomacy.
Morocco angry with France
The adoption of the European Parliament’s resolution has provoked strong reactions in Rabat. The two chambers of the Moroccan parliament, meeting in congress, decided to reconsider their relations with the Strasbourg institution. Politicians, analysts and the media were unanimous in pointing the finger at France and its president, as well as Algeria.
The Moroccans are not happy with this highly publicised pillorying. According to the local press, citing “foreign chancelleries”, two “important” meetings with French officials have been cancelled.
The Desk.ma specifies that these meetings are linked to the visit to Morocco on 23 and 24 January of the head of Africa and the Middle East of the General Directorate of Armaments at the French Ministry of Defence, and the holding of a meeting of the joint consultative committee on judicial cooperation, scheduled for 30 and 31 January.
The Moroccan authorities invoked “agenda and logistical reasons” to cancel these meetings. An argument that the French side found unconvincing, according to the same source.
The Moroccan newspaper writes that the visit of the head of the French Ministry of Defence, which coincided with the trip to Paris of the chief of staff of the Algerian army, General Said Chanegriha, “could be like a consolation prize for Rabat.
