“Just look at you now,” sneered the United Left’s Gaspar Llamazares during Tuesday’s congressional debate on the military intervention in Libya. He was staring at the man who opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, into which then-Prime Minister José María Aznar pitched Spain at the famous Azores summit. But today’s Socialist Spanish premier, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, said this was not Iraq, and when he had proclaimed “No to war!” he was saying not that war. Exactly what the multi-named Libya operation is remains far from clear, as NATO allies squabble over the organisation’s degree of involvement and even Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin dispute whether the bid to bomb Muammar Gaddafi … [Read more...] about Spain’s Zapatero embraces short-lived Libya foray
Tunisia
The Tejero coup, North Africa and back-slapping
That day is widely seen as a turning point in modern Spanish history – the moment when the country’s commitment to democracy was bolstered following the firm action of King Juan Carlos in putting down the putsch. But in his column Ramoneda identifies an exaggerated sense of self-congratulation in the memory of that day now, charging that “we commemorate 23-F in a tribe-like way, without being capable of thinking for one minute about those who today fight for democracy.” And those who fight for democracy today are on Spain’s doorstep. Spain and Europe have failed to send a clear message to North Africa in recent weeks, Ramoneda charges. Spain is a country with particular … [Read more...] about The Tejero coup, North Africa and back-slapping
Morocco’s Mohammed VI must decide
February 20 was Morocco’s “Day of Dignity” but it ended in violence and ignominy as five people died engulfed by flames in a ransacked bank after what had begun as a protest against a rigid political system turned violent in some of the North African country’s most deprived urban areas. The contrast between the orderly demonstrations in many cities including the capital, where banners were raised and slogans in favour of greater democracy were chanted without causing incident, and the rampaging mobs in the streets of many northern towns such as Alhucemas, where the fatalities occurred, could not be more stark. And, given the broader context of revolts sweeping the region, King … [Read more...] about Morocco’s Mohammed VI must decide
Morocco: the next North African revolution?
So has the European Union actually backed a winner in Morocco? As the shockwaves from the unexpected uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt spread across the region, Morocco –the only North African country with advanced EU neighbour status– has seen relatively little unrest. The cynical and ultimately short-sighted European approach to the regimes facing its southern flank was exposed when Tunisians exploded in outrage against a government Brussels had looked on kindly. The French, Italian and Spanish governments were all lobbying for Ben Ali's regime to be given preferential partner status. Morocco, meanwhile, has made a number of strides towards democracy during King Mohammed VI’s 11-year … [Read more...] about Morocco: the next North African revolution?