Introductory Presentation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives at Debate and Information Conference on Hostile and Repetitive Attacks of the European Parliament against the Kingdom of Morocco

Esteemed professors,

Ladies and gentlemen, the journalists representing national and foreign media,

Honorable Parliamentarians,

Distinguished representatives of civil society,

We gather today as part of the openness policy of the Moroccan Parliament in order to put you, and the national and international public opinion, in the picture of the hostile attacks committed against our country within the European Parliament. These attacks have pushed us, as the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco, to reconsider our relations with the European Parliament and subject them to a global evaluation.

As you all know, the wrongful campaign led by some parties within the European Parliament culminated on January 19, 2023, in issuing a non-binding resolution under the title: "Respect for freedom of opinion in Morocco." The campaign went on through the reception by an isolated group of European parliamentarians of one of the advocates of secession and terrorism, at the seat of the European institution. Moreover, the campaign also featured a discussion regarding the past allegations of spying on officials from a European country. The deceitfulness goes on as the endorsers and plotters of attacks against Morocco have malice aforethought.

As you also know, the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco, with all its components, condemned the attacks and fabrications of the European Parliament during the joint plenary sitting held on January 23, 2023, during which all the Parliamentary Groups and Caucuses, as representatives of national political parties, and unions, agreed on condemning and rejecting the acts of the European Parliament. The said sitting culminated in a declaration that you have in your hands.

With your presence today, we reiterate our strong condemnation of the acts the European Parliament committed and still commits, either in the form of recommendations, resolutions, initiatives, or debates that target our country.

We, of course, know the context, backgrounds, and objectives of these antagonizing acts as they target our international positioning, economic ascent, and our continental and international stance.

-      Concerning freedom of expression and opinion in Morocco, no one (except disingenuous persons) would impugn the fact that Morocco is a structured, lawful, institutional, and democratic State; an institutional democracy practiced by means of parties and unions in free transparent elections. In the same regard, our political parties are just as deep-rooted, authentic, and credible as the European ones.

-      This democratic life is covered and controlled by a free, pluralistic, and critical press; and observers, even European ones, acknowledge the uniqueness of the Moroccan model in the regional sphere. This press, including the opposing partisan and independent ones, has lived through all circumstances since independence and contributes to shaping public opinion.

It is, hence, unfortunate that the assessments of some European Parliamentarians who lead the campaign against Morocco are built on false bases, including the absence of factual information and lack of verification of information that is the only source of one-sided on-demand reports.

This produces confusion between victims of a violation of freedom of expression and those who were convicted and guilty of criminal offenses the independent justice examined, namely rape offenses that were proven by hard conclusive evidence on the basis of which justice issued its sentence.

What is odd, nay grievous, is that the ones who are presumably democratic are the same ones to disregard victims' rights.

-      Regarding freedom of expression, the allegations of the European Parliament have already been debunked, and titles enriching the Moroccan media and journalistic scene and the free, pluralistic public debate oriented by the press do not need our defense, as they prove themselves.

On another note, even Moroccan journalists would not accept that the title and position of journalist would be used to commit crimes and offenses against society, especially sexual abuse of women.

-      However, with your presence, let us raise the question of how a visual media institution in the country of freedom and human rights dares dismiss a competent and renowned journalist and subject him to an internal investigation just for having pronounced the words: "Moroccan Sahara?" Yet, no one has stood up to denounce this oppression in the "country of freedom."

I fail to find an appellation for such an incident, and I do not believe it has happened before in Morocco.

As regards the systematic hostility by some parties of the European Parliament, recently manifested in the reception by the pro-separatist lobby within the European Parliament, yesterday, of a woman who claims to be a victim, I would only like to raise some questions, knowing that this so-called inter-group has been targeting the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco for more than 30 years, and its hostility against us is systematic and structured, and may even be called a doctrine.

-      The first question is: How can the European Parliament endorse and support those who glorify terrorism and violence and use them in organized and orchestrated media campaigns after one of the proponents of terror and violence pretends she is a victim that defends freedom?

The answer to such a question manifests itself in the atmosphere of freedom, prosperity, and rights that our brothers and sisters in the southern Moroccan provinces, attached to their moroccanness, enjoy.

-      Secondly, please enlighten me, honorable colleagues, on who, in our present world, can reconcile with secession and terrorism and with the intent to amputate a part of their national territory. Which one of these European countries, parties, and politicians would accept these acts that they try to impose on Morocco? And, since when was self-determination synonymous with secession and the fragmentation of States?

-      Thirdly, how can the European Parliament ignore the flagrant human rights violations in Tindouf camps, the detention on the Algerian territory by a group that has no place in the region's geopolitics, unlawful killings, enlistment of children, the offenses of rape committed by separatist leaders and examined by European courts, and deprivation of people from their freedom of movement?

How can some members of the European Parliament collude with the prohibition of tallying the number of captives by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees?

-      Does this not go against all the values on the basis of which the European Union was built: respect for sovereignty and borders of States, respect for human rights, and non-interference in the internal affairs of States?

These were some questions addressed to those concerned, who made antagonizing Morocco their doctrine and primary concern, a source of livelihood,  a business, and part of their electoral campaign.

All in all, the acts of some parties of the European Parliament go against the relations of the Kingdom of Morocco with the European Union, with the advanced position the Kingdom occupies in its relation with the Union,  with all the positions and declarations issued by European officials, and most importantly with the spirit of the Morocco-Europe partnership. The latter is a partnership on strategic issues for the future of the region and the world: fighting terrorism, managing migration and climate imbalances, and peace. These are all matters in which our country assumes major responsibilities. Let it be known that the House of Representatives that hosts you today is linked to seven European Parliaments through an institutional twinning project funded by the European Union. This project is the second twinning financed by the European Parliament out of esteem to the Moroccan democracy, following a first one that linked it to five European Parliaments.

These acts are puerile and endanger the fate of nations. Our country does not have to provide a certificate of good conduct in human rights because it has mechanisms that guarantee and safeguard them. We are not in a position to justify or prove innocence, and we do not accept that Morocco is subject to extortion by the European Parliament. Relations between partners must be built on clarity, trust, and mutual respect, not upon tutelage and disrespecting the institutions of partners.

The acts of some parties within the European Parliament pave the way for new traditions of interfering in internal affairs, an interference whose motives are known to us, as it is not driven by principles or values, but by misread contextual interests and by lobbies whose activity has flourished in light of the spike in energy prices.