The Spanish government has denied reports that it is considering using its energy links with Morocco to deter Rabat from future migration crises, according to the Spanish news outlet The Objective.
Spanish public broadcaster TVE reported on its Mananeros 360 program that the government was studying a comprehensive contingency plan that could include reviewing Morocco’s access to electricity, gas, and other energy supplies.
The report said that the government intended to punish Morocco, arguing that “the kingdom depends on Spanish infrastructure for its gas and electricity supplies, with 90% of its gas imports either coming from Spain or being regasified there, while the Spain-Morocco electricity interconnection reportedly covers around 20% of the country’s electricity demand.”
But Moncloa Palace refuted the claims, while Red Eléctrica, Spain’s electricity grid operator, and Enagas, the country’s gas transmission operator, also categorically denied being commissioned to prepare studies on the issue.
The government, instead, continues to describe Morocco as a reliable partner and has defended cooperation with Rabat on migration.
On July 31, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez thanked Moroccan authorities for their cooperation in facilitating the return of migrants from Ceuta.
The Objective reported that the alleged contingency plan emerged a day after Ceuta president Juan Jesus Vivas criticized the government’s response to the migration crisis, while several ministers continued to defend cooperation with Morocco to control migration flow.
It also said that the Spanish government is not considering a change in its position on the Moroccan Sahara, adding that Madrid has continued to support Morocco’s autonomy plan as the most serious and realistic basis for resolving the dispute.
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