Spain's PSOE Accuses PP of Trying to ‘Break Relations' with Morocco
Doha – PSOE has strongly condemned the Popular Party (PP) for attempting to 'break relations' between Spain and Morocco through unfounded criticisms over the desalination plant project in Casablanca. PP's attacks come as Spain strengthens economic ties with its southern neighbor.
Rafael Robles, PSOE spokesperson, blasted PP's Manuel Ángel Quevedo for displaying 'disproportionate ignorance' in his statements regarding Spanish funding for Morocco's mega-desalination plant.
'The Spanish Government is financing public infrastructure built by Spanish companies that will provide jobs for Spaniards,' Robles declared emphatically.
The PSOE spokesman explained that Spanish companies 'have the capacity to produce high-quality public infrastructures and try to develop them in the world market,' positioning the project as beneficial for Spanish business interests.
Robles accused Quevedo of being 'either uninformed or deliberately lying' in an attempt to 'deceive' Melilla's citizens about the nature of the financing arrangement.
'The funding that the Spanish Government will lend to the neighboring country for the construction of a desalination plant will be collected like any other financing,' Robles clarified. 'It's just like when any citizen buys a house or a car.'
PSOE denounced that PP 'continues using Morocco with the sole interest of breaking relations and generating tension' in Melilla. 'It's clear that the PP gentlemen don't have a political project and, therefore, make their politics based on continuous confrontation,' Robles asserted.
PP's criticism centered on Spain's financing of the Casablanca desalination plant while allegedly neglecting Melilla's water infrastructure. Quevedo had complained that while the government commits to a mega-desalination plant in Morocco, Melilla's own facility faces operational challenges.
Responding to PSOE's accusations, Quevedo claimed the Casablanca project financing included 'favorable conditions' with 'a part as non-refundable funds.' He mentioned that Spanish provinces like Almería and Málaga had expressed 'discontent at not receiving similar treatment.'
The plant to deliver water to over 7 million residents
The political row erupted after news that Spain has increased funding for the Casablanca project to €340 million, up €100 million from what was announced in 2023. The plant, awarded to a consortium led by Spanish company Acciona, is budgeted at €620 million.
The mega-desalination facility aims to provide 300 million cubic meters of water annually for over seven million residents in the Casablanca metropolitan region. The project had faced delays since its initial design by Rabat authorities in 2009.
Spain's Secretary of State for Commerce, Amparo López Senovilla, confirmed 'more active' financial support for investments in Morocco during an institutional support event for Acciona's project. She expressed Spain's commitment to Morocco's infrastructure modernization plans.
The Iberian funding package includes a €250 million repayable FIEM loan approved by the Spanish Council of Ministers in December 2023, a guarantee from the Spanish Export Credit Agency (Cesce) for a €70 million credit, and a loan of around €30 million from the Spanish Foreign Investment Fund (FIEX).
Spain has established itself as Morocco's primary trading partner over the past decade, with exports reaching €12.8 billion in 2024 compared to €9.8 billion in imports.
Construction on the Casablanca desalination plant, considered Africa's largest, began in June 2024 after being definitively awarded on December 17 the year before. The first phase is scheduled to open between late 2026 and early 2027, with the second phase following a year later.
According to Acciona sources, 20% of the construction work has been completed. When finished, the project will not only supply drinking water to a large urban region but also guarantee irrigation for 8,000 hectares of agricultural land.
Read also: Spain Intends to Replicate Morocco's Successful Drought-Fighting Strategies
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