After criticizing Morocco over the Western Sahara conflict, and Hirak Rif, petroleum exploration is a new chapter the Podemos is using to target the country again. Petroleum exploration authorized by Morocco and carried out by ENI in its territorial waters near the Canary Islands, continues to make headlines in Spain. Although the Spanish Foreign Minister tried to reassure Podemos, the left-wing populist party is again targeting the Kingdom.
Learning from its past mistakes, the party focused on the ecological aspect during a speech delivered last Wednesday at the parliament. Maria del Carmen Pita, a Pedemos MP at the Canary Islands, criticized the reassuring speech of the Foreign Minister, Alfonso Dastis, insisting that «there are no safe prospection». «No one in the government has approached the Moroccan authorities to voice our rejection of the petroleum prospection that would endanger the environment and the main economic activity (in the Canary Island), which is tourism». Podemos and nationalism Excluding the People's Party (PP), the Podemos' approach has succeeded in attracting other groups and political coalitions. Indeed, several groups have joined the initiative, calling the Spanish government to «urgently discuss» with Morocco or the European Union the drilling and convince the Kingdom to «stop» the prospection. Maria Pita took the opportunity to add to her ecological plea, a dose of nationalism, pointing out that «Spanish waters where the drillings take place are to be declared a world sanctuary for Cetaceans», reports EFE. Other groups also supported the argument, the news agency added. On the other hand, the PP accused the Podemos group of «lack of rigor» and pointed out to its will of «creating an alarmist context», ensuring that the Spanish government «respects the international laws and sovereign decisions» of the Kingdom of Morocco, adds EFE. While Podemos chose to shed light on ecology to defend its point of view, its MEPs submitted a question to the European Commission, arguing that the waters are not Moroccan.
