Summary of Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Morocco

Reconciliation, Western Sahara, Immigration and contracts are the 4 cardinal points of Emmanuel Macron’s assessment on a state visit to Morocco. Some themes were successes, others were mixed failures. We take stock for French people abroad.

Reconciliation

Emmanuel Macron arrived in Morocco on Monday, where he was welcomed with great fanfare by King Mohammed VI, for a state visit to Morocco. Accompanied by his wife, Brigitte Macron, and a plethora of delegations of ministers, business owners, intellectuals and entertainment personalities, the French president was greeted as he got off the plane at Rabat-Salé airport by a long handshake of the monarch.

A trip which marked the reconciliation between the two countries, three years after the revelations of the presence of the telephone number of Emmanuel Macron and several of his ministers on the Moroccan listing of the Pegasus spy system. This movement therefore marked the warming which is commensurate with the glaciation which affected the diplomatic and economic relations of the two countries.

Especially since the priority given by the French president to Algeria after his re-election in 2022 had also cast a chill, while the two Maghreb powers nourish a deep rivalry. The former Spanish colony of Western Sahara, considered a “non-self-governing territory” by the UN, has pitted Morocco against the separatists of the Polisario Front, supported by Algiers, for half a century. After Washington recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over this territory, Rabat increased pressure on France to do the same.

Sahara occidental

In his speech before the Moroccan Parliament, Emmanuel Macron confirmed his comments from the summer, i.e.recognition of “Moroccan sovereignty” over Western Saharafor the “present and the future”. As proof, Moroccan elected officials applauded him when he spoke about Western Sahara, saying that the future of this region “ is in Moroccan sovereignty« . These few words had a magical effect as they were so awaited.

However, relations with Algeria, which have deteriorated significantly since Emmanuel Macron came to power, will also have to be managed by French diplomacy as well as that of the Cherifian kingdom. Indeed, Algerian diplomacy has suffered heavy defeats in quick succession. Not only does the international context favor the multiplication of recognitions of the Moroccan nature of the Sahara, but the two countries, France and Spain, former colonial powers, holders of the geographical memory of the region, have unequivocally recognized the sovereignty of Morocco over what Algeria considers “its Sahara”.

Immigration

If Emmanuel Macron had come with Western Sahara in his hood, Bruno Retailleau also accompanied him. The latter had a mission: improving cooperation between the two countries, particularly in matters of migration. And we were far from the major declarations of recent weeks where the Minister of the Interior threatened Morocco with sanctions if the latter did not make concrete commitments on the repatriation of its illegal immigrants. Diplomacy has been there.

However, the rapprochement between France and Morocco could favor the readmission of Moroccan nationals subject to expulsion measures. Moreover, Bruno Retailleau said he was confident after his counterpart’s meetings.

“We agreed to shorten deadlines and do better in terms of people readmitted.”

Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior on October 30, 2024 in Rabat

However, we must not forget the visa crisis which also had a profound impact on relations between the two countries. Having heard the numerous calls from the French deputy for the 9th constituency of French people abroad, Karim Ben Cheïkh, Paris promised to move forward in a spirit of dialogue.

10 billion contracts

Both Rabat and Paris hope that this realignment of the French position will result in hard investments in Morocco. The country has enormous fisheries, solar, wind and phosphate resources. The visit thus gave rise to a shower of contracts, even if the two parties remained discreet about the negotiations. Airbus Helicopters was thus able to sell 12 to 18 Caracals to the Moroccan armed forces, according to consistent sources. France also hopes to remain Morocco’s preferred provider for the extension of the high-speed train line between Tangier and Agadir, after the inauguration with great fanfare of the first section in 2018.

In total, the head of state concluded large contracts for a total amount of more than 10 billion euros. Alstom, Safran, Veolia… All are involved in Moroccan projects.

The French community

If among the French delegation, we were able to discover, with surprise, M’jid El Guerrab, the former French deputy of the region, who did not run in the elections, following his conviction for violence in France, there were also many dual nationals such as French people living in Morocco or Moroccans living in France with Emmanuel Macron. While the deputy of the New Popular Front, Karim Ben Cheïkh, was detained by his activities in the Finance Committee of the National Assembly at the start of the trip before discreetly joining the head of state at the end of his stay.

However, the Head of State has not forgotten this community of French people in Morocco, rich in its diversity, its involvement in local but also French life. He took the time to meet them during an event in the gardens of the embassy in Rabat on October 30.

« Continue to nourish these intersecting identities. You know, I am a very big supporter of at the same time (..) I am very proud to have before me men and women who are proudly and resolutely French while being proudly and resolutely Moroccan.”

Emmanuel Macron on October 30 in Rabat in front of the French community

During a long 30-minute speech, during which the President of the Republic recalled the depth of the ties between our two countries without hiding the difficulties of a relationship to be reinvented in a world which lives, itself, a profound change. Focusing on greeting the different bodies that make up the community of 50,000 French people living in the country, he took the time to review all the players in the dynamic French fabric in Morocco. Schools, many of which depend on the French Secular Mission, research institutes but also cultural actors such as the many entrepreneurs who boost the country and our exports.

Watch Emmanuel Macron’s speech

Leave a comment