Moroccan Parliament decides to reconsider its relations with European Parliament

The Moroccan Parliament announced Monday it has decided to reconsider its relations with the European Parliament (EP) and to subject these relations to an overall assessment, in order to take appropriate decisions, following the EP’s latest positions regarding Morocco.

This announcement was made in a statement released Monday at the end of a joint meeting by the two chambers of the Moroccan Parliament, that was marked by addresses of the presidents and representatives of the various parliamentary groups as well as by parliamentarians without political affiliation.

The Moroccan Parliament condemned thus the insidious campaign waged against the Kingdom, the latest of which was the resolution voted by the EP, on January 19, 2023.

The Moroccan Parliament also decided to inform the European Parliament Presidency of the minutes of this session detailing the positions and speeches of the various parliamentary groups as well as the decisions that will be taken.

“The Moroccan Parliament took note with profound astonishment and resentment of this resolution which has seriously harmed the trust between the two legislative institutions and undermined their decades-long strategic partnership,” said the statement of the two Chambers of the Parliament.

The text regrets that the EP has allowed itself be dragged, by some hostile parties within it, into a misleading campaign targeting a long-standing and credible partner that plays major roles in protecting rights and freedoms, as well as safeguarding regional and international peace and security.

Morocco is, in this regard, a pillar of stability, neighborliness and understanding between peoples, civilizations and cultures, adds the statement.

In the face of this dangerous drift by an institution that is supposed to make a distinction between truth and fallacies, by endeavoring to cement the supremacy of principles and safeguard of rights and freedoms in full respect for its geographical competences and powers and the sovereignty of partner and friendly states, the Moroccan Parliament with all its political components and organs, strongly condemns the attempt to harm Morocco’s interests and tarnish its image, and the distinguished and long-standing relations between Morocco and the European Union that are based on common values and principles, as well as mutual benefits.

The Moroccan parliament also considers the EP resolution an unacceptable transgression of its own competences and an improper infringement on the sovereignty and independence of Morocco’s judicial institutions. It underscores its rejection of any attempt to impose a guardianship over Morocco and objects to receiving lessons from any party, regardless of the level of relations that bind it to the Kingdom.

The Moroccan Parliament, with all its components and political spectrum, expresses its disappointment at the negative attitude and the non-constructive role played during the discussions in the EP and the consultations on the draft recommendation, by some political groups belonging to a country that is a historical partner of Morocco. It regrets those attitudes and practices that have nothing to do with the loyalty and sincerity that partnership requires.

“The Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco does not need to reaffirm their adherence to human rights as they are internationally recognized,” says the statement, adding that Morocco is outstanding in its regional environment by the dynamism of its civil society, the vitality of its media arena, the credibility of its independent institutions and effective mechanisms in the field of the rights of individuals and groups, as well as its active commitment to relevant international conventions, in addition to its commitment to further consolidate and strengthen the rule of law and institutions, within the framework of political pluralism and freedom of opinion and expression.

The statement underlines that the 60-year-old Moroccan Parliament guarantees rights and freedoms and the means for their full exercise. It exercises legislative power, votes on laws, monitors government work and evaluates public policies, including the fundamental rights and freedoms stipulated in the Kingdom’s 2011 Constitution, mainly the protection and advancement of human rights and their contribution to their development while taking into account the universal nature and indivisibility of those rights.

The Moroccan Parliament is a key player in many regional and international parliamentary organizations, says the text, adding that no partner organization has ever transcended its competencies, dared to attack a friendly country and its institutions, or interfered in its internal affairs. Rather, it is committed to respecting sovereignty and fostering mutual institutional trust.

“The Moroccan Parliament is a venue for multidimensional dialogue. It has hosted many international, continental and regional conferences and public and thematic meetings, centered on current issues such as combating terrorism, defending peace and democracy, immigration, human rights, environment, the integration of Youth in development, gender equality etc.”

Moreover, the Moroccan Parliament rejects exploiting and politicizing cases falling within the criminal judiciary authority, and in respect of which judicial rulings have been issued on charges that are not at all related to any journalistic activity or the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression.

These cases are rather related to crimes such as human trafficking, sexual assault and exploitation of persons’ vulnerability, acts that are punishable by the laws of different countries in the world.

In this regard, the Moroccan parliament stresses the need to respect the sanctity and independence of the Moroccan judiciary, which has always been keen to provide the conditions and requirements for a fair trial.

The Moroccan Parliament considers that the EP resolution jeopardizes the capital of trust and cooperation between the Moroccan and European parliaments and the progress accumulated over decades of joint work, at a time when eyes were turned on new and promising horizons for greater efficiency and coordination between the two institutions for the common good and interest of all.

The statement says that the EP resolution deliberately ignores the institutional mechanisms for dialogue and coordination, which was established specifically to be a platform for comprehensive and candid dialogue within the spirit of partnership and mutual respect.

“This violates the contents and decisions of the bilateral and multilateral meetings and the tireless efforts carried out by the Morocco-European Union Joint Parliamentary Committee, since its inception in October 2010, which concretely enshrined the parliamentary dimension of the partnership between Morocco and the European Union and played an important role in strengthening and institutionalizing relations between Moroccan and European MPs,” explains the statement.

In this sense, the Moroccan Parliament calls upon the European political forces to show wisdom and discernment, and to reject any deliberate confusion between human rights that are protected in Morocco by the constitution, laws and institutions on the one hand, and the victimhood claims advanced by some parties on the other hand.