A Spanish opinion poll has revealed that Morocco is increasingly being classified, alongside Russia and Israel, among the countries that raise political and military concerns for Spaniards, amid growing domestic debate in Spain over external threats and the foreign policy direction of the government led by Pedro Sánchez.
According to the findings of the survey conducted by SocioMétrica for the Spanish outlet El Español, 57.6 percent of respondents believe that Morocco constitutes a “military threat” to Spain, placing it second only to Russia in terms of public concern.
The poll, carried out between April 15 and 18 with the participation of 1,712 respondents, indicates that Spanish concerns are tied to the continued sensitivity surrounding several issues in Moroccan-Spanish relations. Chief among them is the status of the cities of Ceuta and Melilla, which Madrid considers part of its territory, while Spanish political and media discourse often frames them as sources of tension with Rabat.
These concerns are also linked, according to the same source, to shifts in Spain’s foreign policy in recent years, particularly since Sánchez came to power in 2018, accompanied by a repositioning of relations with Morocco.
In this context, the Spanish newspaper noted, based on the poll results, that Madrid’s 2022 support for Morocco’s autonomy initiative regarding the Western Sahara marked a turning point in the Spanish government’s stance, triggering wide internal debate over the implications of this rapprochement.
A segment of Spanish public opinion, according to El Español, believes that this shift has not been met with clear concessions from Morocco, especially amid ongoing debates over sovereignty-related issues. This, the poll suggests, helps explain the persistence of high levels of caution toward Rabat.
The survey also shows that 61.4 percent of Spaniards prefer their country to distance itself from Morocco, reflecting a gap between government policy and segments of public opinion. Politically, these concerns vary among voters, rising significantly among supporters of conservative parties, while declining among left-wing voters, particularly those aligned with Sumar and Podemos.
Meanwhile, Russia tops the list of countries raising concern among Spaniards, with 68 percent viewing it as a military threat, amid the ongoing war in Ukraine led by Vladimir Putin.
Israel also ranks among the countries causing concern for a significant portion of Spaniards, with 52 percent, placing it third after Russia and Morocco, considering it a military threat, in the context of regional tensions and criticism voiced by Madrid toward Tel Aviv’s policies.
As for the United States, despite being a traditional ally of Spain, only 29.5 percent of Spaniards see it as a military threat, while 61.7 percent favor strengthening ties with Washington.
