Spain Wants to Drag “NATO” to Pressurize Algeria

The Spanish government is fueled by the fears of Pedro Sanchez’s team of the economic and diplomatic sanctions that Algeria imposed on Madrid amid the crisis between the two countries, against the background of what is considered a historical “betrayal” of the Western Sahara cause.

Spain resorted to the European Commission in the hope of protection from the Algerian sanctions, last Friday, which caused anger in Algeria as in Madrid by the political class there, where the government of Pedro Sanchez is heading towards a new slide represented in seeking to involve the North Atlantic Treaty Organization “NATO” (in which it is a member) in the diplomatic and economic crisis with Algeria, which indicates the extent of the confusion in which Pedro Sanchez is living.

In this regard, the Spanish newspaper, El Mundo, reported that “Madrid will ask NATO to act against blackmail with immigration and energy across its southern borders ”during the summit it is hosting at the end of this month, by trying to include these two issues within the alliance’s new security concept that will be approved at the next summit”.

The reference is clear here, and the target is Algeria, with which relations have deteriorated, as it is a major supplier of gas to Spain, and is also considered among the countries from which illegal immigrants depart, along with the rest of the other Maghreb countries, although the latest Spanish statistics in this regard indicate that the clandestine immigrants coming from the Moroccan Makhzen Kingdom are twice as high as those arriving from Algeria, despite the normalization of relations between Madrid and Rabat about three months ago.

Madrid’s attempt to employ the Atlantic Organization in its conflict with Algeria came after Madrid gave up on the pressure card through the European Commission, based on the partnership agreement signed between Algeria and the European Union in 2002, in which Madrid claims that Algeria has breached one of its most important clauses, which is obstructing intra-regional trade despite the official denial of Algeria.

There is a conviction among politicians and economic experts in Spain that pressurizing Algeria through the European Commission will not bear fruit, because the largest member states of the Union, in the form of Germany, France and Italy, will have their interests prevail over any bilateral dispute with Algeria, and Madrid has stood on this reality, after the visit that led the German Secretary of State to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Katja Kohl, to Algeria this week which culminated in the signing of agreements for cooperation in the field of energy and other sectors, and the phone call between the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Community Abroad, Ramtane Lamamra and his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, which focused on strengthening the partnership between the two shores of the Mediterranean.

Before that, at the height of the crisis between Algeria and Spain, Italy took advantage of the situation and boosted its relations with Algeria, especially on the energy level, by concluding new contracts that included more gas shipments, during President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s visit to Rome last month, which angered Madrid that rushed to communicate with the Italian government to inquire whether those agreements were at the expense of Spain’s energy interests in Algeria.

The second approach of the Spaniards is that the continued deterioration of bilateral relations with Algeria lead to their country facing heavy economic and geopolitical losses because even if the member states of the European Union follow Madrid in its crisis with Algeria, which is unlikely in light of the divergence of interests, the solution will not be on the foreseeable future. After all, the issue will be referred to joint committees between Algeria and the European Union to look into the complaints submitted by Madrid, and this will take many months, and then the Spanish companies that depend on the Algerian market will have incurred heavy losses.

The last approach was discussed at length by the Spanish newspaper “ABC” on Wednesday’s edition and its front page published a picture of the German Secretary of State to the Foreign Ministry, Katja Kohl, signing agreements in the presence of the Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra, during her recent visit to Algeria, and said that both From France, Italy and Germany are taking advantage of the Spanish failure in Algeria to promote their energy interests with it at the expense of Madrid. The Spanish ABC newspaper also referred to Algeria’s description of the Spanish Foreign Minister as “a fomenter of strife” based on an opinion article in the Algerian Agency of Press Services.

In a related context, Javier Hernandez Lasquitte, the head of economy and finance in the Madrid local government, said that “the worst thing Spain can do is antagonizing its main supplier of gas”, referring to Algeria.

In an interview with a local channel, the official confirmed: “At a time when the entire West is facing a crisis with energy prices, the worst that Spain can do is antagonising its main supplier of gas, as Pedro Sanchez did.”

“I think that the decision of Pedro Sanchez is irresponsible, especially the decision to pursue enmity with Algeria on an issue of paramount importance, which will cost citizens and companies a lot”, he added, “Spain cannot change its position on Western Sahara overnight, without providing explanations”.

He concluded his condemnation against Sanchez by saying; “When you are in the midst of a gas supply crisis, everything that will happen will fall on the government only because they did not consult with anyone.”