” He added that, from the Moroccan point of view, they are “of course a wound.”
This is not a Moroccan official speaking. It is one of Madrid’s most determined opponents, a former member of the European Parliament, and his voice comes from within the Spanish debate itself. I believe that is what gives this statement its weight.
A phrase that strikes where Madrid is most exposed
The word “colonies” is not innocent. In Spain, people speak of “autonomous cities” and “plazas de soberanía,” never of colonies. When a former head of a European regional government uses this term in a major British newspaper, it breaks a taboo of vocabulary that official Spanish discourse carefully maintains.
The rest of his reasoning is even more awkward for Madrid. Puigdemont argues that the position of Ceuta’s residents would be legitimized if they could express themselves through a self-determination referendum, and that Spain refuses because it fears the same demand would be made in Catalonia. In other words, according to him, Madrid is not defending a principle but protecting itself from a precedent.
What Puigdemont said exactly
I want to quote his words in full, because rigor is what makes an article credible. Puigdemont acknowledges that “the people of Ceuta are very Spanish.” He is therefore not arguing, in this interview, for immediate attachment to Morocco, and he does not speak on behalf of Rabat.
But this nuance takes nothing away from the essential point. Two elements remain: the use of the word “colonies” and the idea that a consultation would be the only way to legitimize the current situation. And it is precisely the question of legitimacy that Madrid prefers never to raise.
The double standard that Rabat has long denounced
This intervention echoes an argument that Moroccan diplomacy regularly makes: that of inconsistency. Spain claims Gibraltar, which it has asked to recover for decades, while refusing any discussion about Ceuta and Melilla. The principle changes depending on who occupies what.
There is a second asymmetry. Madrid invokes territorial integrity to reject any negotiation, while Catalonia raises the question of the right to decide within Spain itself. Puigdemont’s statement places these two contradictions side by side, and it does so through the mouth of a European whom no one can suspect of complacency toward Morocco.
A constant and patient Moroccan position
Morocco has never recognized Spanish sovereignty over the two cities. Since its independence in 1956, Rabat has regarded them as Moroccan territories under Spanish administration. This position has never changed, and it is regularly reaffirmed: in August 2026, Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi publicly restated the Moroccan claim, specifying that the kingdom raises the issue with Spain and seeks a long-term solution through dialogue.
This is where I see the strength of the Moroccan stance: firmness on principle, flexibility on method. Morocco does not seek confrontation. It chooses patience, dialogue and partnership, while refusing to abandon a file it considers unsettled.
A partnership that both shores have an interest in preserving
This dispute does not block the relationship. Morocco and Spain cooperate closely on migration, security, trade and the economy, and Spain is among the kingdom’s leading trading partners. The 2022 turning point, when Madrid backed Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara, showed that the relationship could move forward when interests converge.
The recent context also shows how closely these issues are linked. At the end of July 2026, more than 70,000 people crossed the Ceuta border without authorization, according to the British House of Commons Library, before the vast majority were returned to Morocco. This episode showed that the border is a shared issue that requires joint management. I will stick to that observation, because the exact causes of the episode remain debated.
What this changes…
Words matter in politics. This statement gives Morocco one more argument in the European debate: that of an internal contradiction within Spain, voiced by one of its own actors. It also reminds Madrid that the question of legitimacy, sooner or later, comes back.
A question that remains open
The question now is a simple one. Can Spain keep refusing any discussion about Ceuta and Melilla while claiming Gibraltar and defending the unity of its territory against Catalonia? And will Morocco, strengthened by its consistency and its dialogue-based approach, choose to turn this moment into diplomatic leverage, or to preserve a partnership that has become vital for both shores? The answer will depend on the choices of the two capitals in the coming months.
FAQ
What exactly did Puigdemont say about Ceuta and Melilla?
He described them as “two colonies or cities inside Morocco” and said they are, from the Moroccan point of view, “a wound.” He also acknowledged that the people of Ceuta are “very Spanish.”
Is Puigdemont speaking on behalf of Morocco or Spain?
No. He speaks in a personal capacity, as a former president of the Generalitat and a figure of the Catalan independence movement.
What is Morocco’s position?
Morocco has never recognized Spanish sovereignty over the two cities, which it considers Moroccan territories under Spanish administration, and it says it seeks a long-term solution through dialogue.
What does Madrid say?
Spain considers Ceuta and Melilla integral parts of its territory and refuses any negotiation over its colonies in Africa.
