The French Socialist Party (PS) has spoken out about French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, condemning the «hasty diplomatic shift without consulting parliament» and reaffirming its commitment to a foreign policy that «respects international law, human rights, and the self-determination of peoples».
«Like many other French citizens, we observed a letter addressed to King Mohammed VI on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of his accession to the throne, in which the President of the Republic decided to recognize the Moroccan plan for Western Sahara», the party stated. «The Socialist Party, committed to French-Moroccan friendship, condemns this unilateral decision, made without any discussion or consultation with parliament».
The party expressed concern about the consequences of this decision and called for diplomacy based on calm and dialogue. «At a time when there was no urgent need to make such an announcement in the middle of summer, while the government is supposed to be handling current affairs, the president is engaging in actions without a long-term political vision», it continued.
«French diplomacy cannot be dictated by Emmanuel Macron's upcoming state visit to Rabat», the statement added.
For the record, in his letter to King Mohammed VI on Tuesday, Macron acknowledged that «the present and future of Western Sahara fall within the framework of Moroccan sovereignty», and emphasized that France would «act consistently with this position at both national and international levels».
This shift in stance was quickly denounced by Algeria, which decided to recall its ambassador from Paris.