The King's Speech in Parliament: Refusal of Extortion in the Immigration File with Spain

On Friday, King Mohammed VI addressed Parliament on the occasion of the opening of the first session of the first legislative year of the twelfth legislative term in Rabat, in a session chaired by His Majesty with Crown Prince Moulay Hassan, Prince Moulay Rachid, and Prince Moulay Ahmed. In his speech, the King stressed that the current model of cooperation in the field of migration "has become outdated," stressing that the partnership with Spain in this file remains a sovereign choice and a voluntary commitment that "will never be subject to any pressure, threat or The King explained that the recurrence of crises in the irregular migration file reveals the limitations of the current cooperation model, noting that the same situation applies to the partnership with Spain despite the progress achieved in combating irregular migration. His Majesty criticized what he described as "unrealistic" legal requirements and judicial rulings that hinder the return of minors and persons impersonating asylum seekers, considering that they encourage organized crime networks. The king also denounced “irresponsible statements” made about some political and media circles, and exploiting the file for circumstantial purposes. A new strategic vision for partners The King announced that Morocco will present a document to its partners outlining a comprehensive strategic vision for common development, economic competitiveness and regional stability, within the framework of a sovereign partnership logic that does not accept any external dictates. "A real turning point" for the new legislative and governmental mandate The King considered that the new legislative and governmental mandate should constitute a "real turning point" in Morocco's path towards consolidating its position as a rising and reliable economic power, while balancing economic growth and promoting social and spatial justice. He called for a new generation of grand strategies in the areas of water, energy and food security, industrial takeoff, digital economy and artificial intelligence, while accelerating the construction of strategic stocks and securing the supply of basic materials. He also called on the private sector to play a greater role in investment, export and job creation, and called for an integrated policy for youth that includes education, training and inclusion The King stressed that the real bet for the next stage is the field work to identify the real problems of each party and find realistic solutions to them, considering that advanced regionalization and administrative decentralization are linked to improving public services and the attractiveness of investment. He stressed that "it is no longer acceptable to delay or procrastinate" in the full activation of the Charter of Administrative Decentralization, including the transfer of powers and human and financial resources from the central state to Entities and regions, calling for a clearer definition of the competencies of the entities, strengthening their frameworks and resources, and contractual coordination between the state and the entities. The King concluded his speech by recalling that the parliamentary mandate is a political obligation and a moral contract with the citizens, governed by responsibility before God and the homeland.