The Spanish government has reiterated its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan as a “serious, credible, and realistic” solution to the Sahara conflict, reaffirming the position first laid out in a joint declaration signed on April 7, 2022, following a meeting between King Mohammed VI and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Responding to a written question by Senator José Antonio Monago Terrazas of the opposition Popular Party, Spain’s government referred to the 2022 joint statement as its official position, emphasizing the importance of the Sahara issue for Morocco and backing Rabat’s autonomy proposal under Moroccan sovereignty.
This reaffirmation signals Spain’s continued commitment to its strategic alignment with Morocco, despite domestic political pressures and criticism from factions supporting the Polisario Front. The government of Prime Minister Sánchez has resisted such pressures, maintaining that the bilateral partnership with Morocco is a sovereign decision based on mutual interests and regional stability.
Spain’s endorsement of the autonomy plan has ushered in a new era of diplomatic and economic cooperation between Madrid and Rabat, moving past years of diplomatic tensions and disputes. The 2022 declaration emphasized resolving bilateral matters through dialogue, transparency, and mutual respect, rejecting unilateral actions or hostile gestures.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares underscored this stance again in a March 2025 interview, calling Morocco a “strategic partner and a close friend” to both Spain and the European Union. He highlighted robust cooperation across trade, security, counterterrorism, and migration, and reaffirmed that the autonomy initiative remains the “only realistic and credible” solution to the long-standing dispute over the territory.
Spain’s support carries symbolic and strategic weight, given its history as the former colonial power in the Sahara and its deep familiarity with the conflict’s legal and historical dimensions. Analysts see Madrid’s backing of Morocco’s plan as a political turning point that has helped encourage similar endorsements from key European allies, including France and the United Kingdom.
The Spanish position is seen in Rabat as a cornerstone in consolidating international recognition for Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, and as a critical diplomatic gain that strengthens Morocco’s regional standing while isolating separatist movements.
Despite opposition from pro-Polisario voices within Spain’s media and political landscape, the Sánchez administration continues to emphasize that the decision reflects Spain’s sovereign foreign policy priorities and the need to maintain a stable and productive relationship with its southern neighbor.
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