There is great outrage in Rabat about the MEPs.

Following the European Parliament's resolution, the Moroccan Parliament decided to reconsider its relations with the European Parliament and subject them to a "major reassessment".

According to the state news agency MAP, "decisive and appropriate decisions" will soon be made.

Other pro-government institutions were similarly clear: the High Judicial Council rejected the “serious allegations that call into question the independence of the judiciary”.

According to the National Press Council, the European allegations have nothing to do with reality.

Hans Christian Roessler

Political correspondent for the Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb based in Madrid.

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The Moroccan government has so far remained silent on the first resolution in more than two decades that so clearly criticizes the North African country.

It is about the deterioration of press freedom and allegations of corruption.

Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said in early January that these were "harassment and media attacks" aimed at disrupting good relations with the European Union.

But this partnership seems to continue to work.

During his recent visit to Rabat, Spanish-born EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell diplomatically expressed his concern about "serious allegations" made in the press.

In Europe, Morocco can apparently continue to count on Spain as its main advocate.

Since the serious diplomatic crisis between the two countries ended,

Spain remains in solidarity with Rabat

Last week, 17 MPs from Sánchez's socialist PSOE party rejected the EU Parliament's resolution on Morocco - along with a dozen right-wing extremist parliamentarians.

"Some elements" of the resolution were not shared, said Sánchez, who is also the PSOE leader, immediately emphasizing the good health of relations with Morocco.

The journalist Ignacio Cembrero finds it shameful "that the Spanish socialists refuse to support human rights in a country as close to Spain as Morocco, and to make common cause with the French right-wing extremists of the Rassemblement National".

According to the Spanish Maghreb expert, Sánchez is concerned with saving the summit meeting in Rabat at the beginning of February.

The governments of both countries are meeting again for the first time since 2015.

At the same time, it is important to Spain that border traffic between Morocco and the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla return to normal.

At the time of the dictator Franco, democratic Europe, starting with the SPD, showed solidarity with the Spanish socialists.

Now the democrats on the southern shore of the Mediterranean deserved similar solidarity,

A trial has been going on against the journalist in Madrid for two weeks: Morocco is demanding that he stop accusing the Moroccan secret service of spying on his mobile phone with "Pegasus".

The resolution of the European Parliament expressly calls on Morocco to refrain from monitoring journalists with Israeli spy software.

Cembrero laments the "great silence" of the Spanish socialists at the beginning of his trial.

On the other hand, leading representatives of the other most important political forces had publicly assured him of their support.