Marruecos utiliza la agonía de Sánchez para avanzar en su proyecto nacional

Spain is using the plight of Sanchez to advance its national project. The government has weakened all elements that strengthen foreign policy, making it difficult to gauge the true stature of President Sanchez in international politics. Those presenting Sanchez as a capable international leader capable of standing up to Donald Trump and confronting Israel should explain how he and his government have remained subservient to Morocco following the influx of 80,000 people into Ceuta.

This hybrid invasion reminiscent of 2021 cannot be explained without the connivance of the Alawite regime. The government's efforts to find scapegoats (hunting down mafias, ultra-right influencers, even PP and Vox for the invasion) to make the invasion a migration crisis, rather than demand explanations from Morocco, demonstrate unprecedented weakness in the Spanish government and raise suspicions.

A country's strength in foreign policy is measured not by its leaders' statements, but by its ability to define and pursue clear national interests, its ability to forge alliances that give it weight in international organizations, and its competence in protecting its citizens and businesses abroad. It is also measured by its consistency, strategic continuity, and maneuverability.

This government has failed in all of these objectives. The attack on Ceuta violates territorial integrity and the defense of our borders, which is the first clear national interest to protect, as stipulated in Article 8 of our Constitution. The network of alliances this government has woven makes our country vulnerable. It has turned against traditional partners like the US and Israel, who provided stability and security, and ended up entangled with unaligned states that do nothing for Spain's or the EU's interests.

All for the sake of whitewashing the image of a bruised president who needed to please unscrupulous allies like Sumar, Podemos, or Bildu to stay in power. The protection of Spanish citizens and businesses, in this case within the national territory, is being tested with little success. The interests of Spaniards and businesses living and working in Ceuta are severely compromised by the government's inability to ensure that what happened on July 30 does not happen again.

As for consistency and strategic continuity, these were shattered dramatically on March 14, 2022, when Sanchez changed Spain's stance on Sahara, abandoning the UN resolutions to embrace Morocco's perspective, without consulting Parliament. Nobody has been able to explain the reasons for this shift, which is why the thesis that Sanchez is being blackmailed by Morocco is taking on more weight.

In fact, in May 2021, the government initially blamed mafias, ultra-right influencers, even PP and Vox for the invasion, but soon after, this stance of firmness collapsed, coinciding with the Pegasus scandal and the hacking of Sanchez and Margarita Robles' phones. Since then, everything has been a carpet for Morocco. González Laya had to resign in July 2021, and soon after, Sanchez abandoned the traditional Spanish position on Sahara.

The Moroccan ambassador had already said that some acts have consequences. While the pusillanimous response of the government deepens, Morocco continues unabated with its objective of national construction, shared by Mohamed VI and the entire parliamentary spectrum, which includes recognizing Morocco's sovereignty over Sahara and incorporating Ceuta and Melilla into its territory.

The ultimate goal of Morocco is to become a regional power in North Africa and the Western Mediterranean and become the gateway for world investments in the Sahel. To achieve this strategic purpose, Morocco has allied itself with the US and Israel and increased its defense spending, exactly the opposite of what Spain has done. This week, Josep Borrell assured on Spanish Television that Spain's position regarding Israel and defense spending has been very brave.

Given the events, one must question if bravery means being insane. Mohamed VI knows his regime remains a guarantee for the West because it deters fundamentalism, and he knows Spain with this government has nothing more valuable to offer. His moves make him an unreliable partner for everyone, and hence, he is increasingly isolated.

This is not new; he did it in 1975 with the Green March, capitalizing on Franco's death, and he is doing it again now as Sanchez's term draws to a close.