It’s not easy being Prime Minister as Spain’s acting post-holder Pedro Sánchez has found out after his first family holiday abroad in five years drew criticism from all sides of the political spectrum at the end of last week.
The vacation, which his office stated was “paid for entirely by Sánchez” according to Reuters, has nonetheless caused controversy due to its unexpected destination being neighbouring Morocco with whom Spain has clashed over a range of issues including air, land and water boundaries, import and export levies, and migration.
What’s more, the thorny problem of Spain’s former Western Saharan colony and its disputed status by Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front –who claim nationhood – has reared its head again. Sánchez expressed support for a plan put forward by Rabat for the region’s autonomy last year. Although this switch from Spain’s traditional neutrality appeared to mellow Spanish – Moroccan relations, it also coincided with a political row over accusations that Morocco had used Israeli-sold Pegasus spyware to hack the phones of members of the Spanish government.
1. Sudden secret change of plan
Instead of announcing the Moroccon vacation up front, Sánchez appeared to abandon plans for a break in the Canary Islands at the last minute. Euronews reports authorities and security were awaiting his arrival in Lanzarote, when the acting PM’s plane flew to Morocco instead. He was seen with a guide in Jemaa el-Fna Square and eating out in Marrakech.
2. Controversy
Spain’s right-wing People’s Party has branded the Morocco trip a “clear provocation”, with official Miguel Tellado accusing Sánchez of “arrogance.” Far-right party Vox used the incident as an excuse to stoke nationalist anti-Moroccan sentiment. He alleged that Sánchez “seems to like Morocco more than Spain” and pointed out that he supported Moroccan farmers during a drought that also affected Spain.
Meanwhile Sánchez’s own junior Socialist coalition government partners, in the hard left Podemos party, have also raised their eyebrows at the choice of holiday.
Podemos foreign affairs spokesperson Idoia Villanueva said on social media platform X (formerly Twitter): “Sanchez continues to show his complacency toward Morocco, day after day, while Morocco continues to violate fundamental rights with impunity.”
3. Moroccan welcome
In contrast, Moroccan media has appeared to celebrate Sánchez’s positive attitude towards Spain’s southern neighbour. Le 360 news platform termed the vacation choice a “message of friendship” and cited Sánchez’s support for Morocco’s position on the Western Sahara as further evidence of this.
