Relationship dossier
Spain
Western Sahara
Relationship assessment
Spain’s colonial legacy and 2022 shift toward Morocco’s autonomy proposal strain ties with the Sahrawi movement.
Spain toward Western Sahara
-35Spain’s government has supported a UN-led settlement of Western Sahara’s status. In March 2022, however, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez endorsed Morocco’s autonomy proposal as the most serious and realistic basis for resolving the dispute, a significant shift opposed by the Sahrawi authorities.
Western Sahara toward Spain
-20The Sahrawi authorities, represented by the Polisario Front, condemned Spain’s 2022 endorsement of Morocco’s autonomy proposal and withdrew their representative from Spain.
Overall relationship
-30The relationship is shaped by Spain’s former colonial administration, the unresolved status of Western Sahara and Spain’s consequential 2022 endorsement of Morocco’s autonomy proposal. Spain has also supported a UN-led settlement, but the Sahrawi authorities’ strong response to the policy shift underscores the strain over self-determination and the territory’s future.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Spain’s relationship with the Sahrawi national movement is shaped by its former colonial role and the unresolved status of Western Sahara. Spain has supported a UN-led settlement, but in 2022 its government endorsed Morocco’s autonomy proposal as a serious basis for resolving the dispute, prompting strong opposition from the Polisario Front. The Sahrawi authorities have condemned Spain’s position and withdrawn their representative.
Areas of tension
- Western Sahara’s status and the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination
- Spain’s 2022 endorsement of Morocco’s autonomy proposal
Key developments
Spain’s government endorsed Morocco’s autonomy proposal as a serious and realistic basis for resolving the Western Sahara dispute; the Sahrawi authorities condemned the policy shift.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of direct government-to-government engagement between Spain and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic is unclear.
- The longer-term implications of Spain’s 2022 policy shift for its support of a UN-led settlement remain uncertain.