Political Dispute in Occupied Ceuta Extends to Demand for Official Visit by Spanish K

 

Political Organizations in Ceuta Challenge Madrid Over King Felipe VI's Absence

Political organizations in the occupied city of Ceuta are currently challenging the central government in Madrid, arguing that King Felipe VI's absence from visiting the city is due to "diplomatic and geopolitical reasons that prevent the Spanish royal from visiting the enclave under local government authority." They interpret this as "Spain avoiding upsetting Morocco."

Local political figures in the occupied Moroccan enclave have rejected the Spanish monarchy's exclusion of the city from the visit. Local MP Julia Ferreras indicated this during a recent session of the local parliament. Meanwhile, Kesi Chandermani, in charge of financial affairs, cited "diplomatic and geopolitical reasons" for the absence, according to local media.

Opposition groups in the occupied cities of Ceuta and Melilla frequently demand that the central government in Madrid ensure a visit by King Felipe VI to the autonomous regions, arguing that "the cities should receive the same visit since they are part of Spanish territory."

The former Spanish King, Juan Carlos, visited the occupied Moroccan enclave of Ceuta in November 2007, provoking strong reactions in Rabat both officially and publicly, including the recall of the Moroccan ambassador to Madrid for consultations.

Observers note that the continuous demand for a royal visit to Ceuta is part of the "political struggle waged by right-wing organizations in Ceuta against the Socialist Party leading the central government today." This comes as Morocco and Spain continue to cooperate, particularly after affirming the strength of their relations in 2022. Therefore, this is an ongoing political debate within the context of right-left rivalry in the Iberian neighbor.

Abdelhamid El-Bajoki, an expert on Spanish affairs, stated that "this debate always remains present on the Spanish side, with the right continually attempting to assert Ceuta and Melilla's Spanish identity. As political conflict in Spain between the right and left, and between the government and opposition, intensifies, discussions about the two cities and Morocco are frequently brought up to embarrass Pedro Sánchez's government."

El-Bajoki told Hespress that "the Spanish central government currently does not want visits that Morocco would not welcome, while the opposition insists on them to pressure Sánchez's government and to reinforce accusations that he is aligned with Morocco, which is not true."

He added, "If we look back to the era of Zapatero, who improved relations with Morocco, we see that King Juan Carlos's visit to Ceuta and Melilla at that time annoyed Morocco before the issue eventually subsided." He noted that "the internal conflict often drives such debates where Morocco is mentioned."

Rachid Lazraq, a political science professor, offered a similar analysis, noting that "this issue is part of the disruption created by right-wing organizations hostile to Morocco, supported by local media that attempt to stir up these topics to criticize Pedro Sánchez's government."

Lazraq emphasized that "the visit does not benefit either country amidst the significant developments in their relations since April 2022, strengthened by their cooperation in jointly organizing the 2030 World Cup with Portugal. The Spanish right-wing is betting on stirring up conflicts against the Socialist-led government."

The academic concluded that "both countries have shown good intentions for bilateral cooperation and addressing mutual challenges together. They believe that collaboration in developmental fields is preferable to engaging in meaningless conflicts, as the right attempts to provoke in its confrontation with Pedro Sánchez's government." He affirmed that "the two countries have made significant strides in their cooperation on shared challenges, and opening a new, unnecessary debate at this time would be unwise."