Archive / Working Paper
Spain and Morocco: towards a reform agenda?
06/04/2005 By Richard Gillespie
This paper outlines the recent evolution in Spanish policy towards Morocco, pointing to the cautious nature of Madrid’s support for democratic reform in the kingdom.
During the latter part of the Partido Popular administration and under the current PSOE government, priority has been given to rebuilding diplomatic relations with Rabat.
Support for reforms that have been implemented in Morocco has been relatively limited and reactive; pressure has been limited in response to Mohammed VI’s increasing reluctance to contemplate far-reaching democratisation.
Such caution on democracy and human rights issues has been compounded by the PSOE’s apparent shift in policy towards the Western Sahara dispute – although, more optimistically, the paper suggests that this might also open the way for Spain to support reform through a focus on decentralisation in Morocco.
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Keywords
Civil society Democracy Diplomacy Morocco North Africa SpainRelated publications
Bio author: Richard Gillespie
Director of the Europe in the World Centre. Editor of Mediterranean Politics. Member of the Editorial Board of Democratization. Member of the International Academic Board of the Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans.
