The National Rally (RN) took control of the France-Morocco parliamentary friendship group in the French National Assembly on Monday. A strategic victory for the far-right party, which thus strengthens its influence on key diplomatic issues. However, this appointment arouses an outcry, particularly from Karim Bencheikh, deputy for the 9th constituency of French people established outside France, who strongly denounced this decision saying “ frightened » and announces that he will not sit alongside the RN.
According to the newspaper Le Monde, the RN won the presidency of several friendship groups, including France-Morocco, France-Italy and France-United Kingdom. These choices reflect a strategic desire of Marine Le Pen’s party to assert itself on the diplomatic scene, with an emphasis on countries with a strong economic, cultural and migratory impact.
The presidency of the France-Morocco group is particularly symbolic. Morocco occupies a central place in bilateral relations with France, whether in terms of economic cooperation, migration control or the management of a large Moroccan diaspora in France. This choice also comes in a context of diplomatic rapprochement marked by the recognition by France, in 2024, of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara, a historic turning point in relations between Rabat and Paris.
However, this decision provoked an immediate and virulent reaction from Karim Bencheikh. In a press release published Monday, the MP expressed his “ dismay » in the face of what he considers to be a break with the historical values held by the France-Morocco friendship group.
« On principle, due to the xenophobic ideas defended by this party that I have always fought, out of respect for Moroccans in France and their families, I do not intend to sit in a group chaired by the extreme right “, he said.
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Refusing to collaborate under the leadership of the RN, Bencheikh affirmed that he would nevertheless continue to defend the interests of the French established in Morocco and to maintain the deep ties which unite the two countries: “ Morocco remains dear to my heart and to my mandate. »
This controversy takes place in a complex diplomatic climate between Paris and Rabat, marked by recurring tensions in recent years. Since 2022, Karim Bencheikh, alongside other deputies, had committed to restoring bilateral relations, particularly after a period of cooling, he said.
The decision to entrust the presidency to the RN risks further weakening this process. For many observers, the France-Morocco friendship group, historically a vector of dialogue and cooperation, now finds itself at the heart of a political controversy.
A divide within the French National Assembly
The allocation of friendship group chairs reveals the deep divisions within French political forces. If the RN was able to impose itself on several issues, left-wing groups are struggling to agree, particularly on strategic countries like Lebanon, Turkey or Senegal.
For some MPs, this situation reflects a political exploitation of friendship groups, often perceived as symbolic tools but which play a significant role in parliamentary diplomacy.
The takeover of the France-Morocco group by the RN is all the more significant as it comes shortly after the death of Jean-Marie Le Pen, emblematic figure of the French far right and long-time ally of Morocco. This ambiguous past, mixing strategic interests and ideological controversies, today fuels criticism of the legitimacy of the RN to lead such a group.
As the controversy swells, Karim Bencheikh’s decision not to sit in this group marks a symbolic act of defiance against the far right. A choice which reinforces tensions within the French political class on the management of relations with partners as strategic as Morocco.
The future of this friendship group, now placed under the prism of controversy, risks being debated within the French parliament where a Motion of censure is being raised concerning the new Prime Minister François Bayrou.
