Madrid and Rabat: the end of fear and the birth of a rational alliance

While the ultra-nationalist right wing of Vox attempts to revive old tensions, the Spanish government reaffirms a pragmatic vision: Morocco is not a threat, but an essential strategic partner for stability in the western Mediterranean.

During a session of the Joint National Security Committee in Congress, the director of the Office of the Presidency of the Government, Diego Rubio, was categorical: bilateral relations are experiencing ‘one of their best moments in history’, despite the ‘natural differences’ between neighbours. With these words, Rubio dismantled the narrative of Vox MP Ignacio Gil Lázaro, who insinuated that Rabat is developing ‘hybrid strategies’ to destabilise Spain through irregular migration and the modernisation of its armed forces.

Rubio's speech was not only a political response, but also a strategic positioning. By denying any scenario of conflict and affirming that ‘there is no hidden confrontation’ between the two countries, the Spanish government sent a clear message: the future of the region depends on cooperation and not on fears manufactured by extremism. Morocco, he said, is a ‘neighbour, friend and strategic partner’.

Deep down, what disturbs Vox is not the real Morocco, but the symbolic one. They are uncomfortable with the idea of a southern country that no longer accepts the logic of subordination, that presents itself on the international stage as an emerging power, capable of dialogue with Europe on an equal footing. The ‘fear of the other’ is nothing more than the shadow of the old colonial reflex, reissued in a populist key.

The Spanish government, however, has understood something that the far right refuses to accept: that stability in the north depends on balance in the south. Morocco has established itself as a force for order, a key player in migration management, the fight against terrorism and economic cooperation. To think of Rabat as a threat is to ignore the new political geography of the 21st century, where borders are no longer defended with walls, but with alliances.

Since Spain recognised Morocco's autonomy plan as a ‘realistic and credible solution’ to the Sahara conflict, relations between Madrid and Rabat have reached a point of diplomatic maturity that translates into figures: more than £14 billion annually in trade, unprecedented cooperation on migration and sustained growth in the energy and logistics sectors.

In this context, Vox's accusations of a supposed ‘Moroccan threat’ sound anachronistic. They represent the echo of a Spain that no longer exists: a Spain that looked south with mistrust and moral superiority. Today, the reality is different. Morocco is not only a necessary partner, but also a mirror in which Spain rediscovers its own place in the Mediterranean: that of a nation that needs to build shared security, not imaginary enmities.

The discourse of threat is comfortable, but sterile.

It feeds fears and serves to distract from internal problems: inequality, unemployment, social polarisation. That is why Vox insists on manufacturing symbolic enemies: the migrant, the Muslim, the southern neighbour. But foreign policy is not guided by ghosts, but by concrete interests, and Spain's interest is called cooperation with Morocco.

In short, Diego Rubio's statement is not a simple diplomatic declaration. It is the confirmation that the Madrid-Rabat axis has become a pillar of regional stability. In the face of confrontational rhetoric, both governments are committed to the rational management of their differences and to an interdependence that benefits both peoples.

The future of the Mediterranean does not belong to those who shout out of fear, but to those who understand that history has already changed.

Morocco and Spain know this: the time for suspicion is over, and the real challenge now is to build a border that does not separate, but connects.