Morocco In Spain’s Security Debate Between Perception And Strategic Reality

Rabat – A recent SocioMétrica survey published by Spanish news outlet, El Español, has reignited debate in Spain over how the country perceives its external security environment and its international alignments. 

The survey maps public opinion on what respondents consider “military threats” and which global partners Spain should “move closer to” or “distance itself from.”

Among the findings, Morocco emerges as one of the most frequently cited countries in the Spanish public imagination. According to the poll cited in the article, “57.6% see a ‘threat’ in Morocco,” a perception the outlet links to “claims of sovereignty over Ceuta and Melilla.”

Russia leads the ranking of perceived threats, with 68% of Spaniards identifying it as a serious military danger. Morocco follows with 57.6%, while Israel is seen as a threat by 52%, and the US by 29.5%. 

Iran registers lower in comparison, with only 34.2% of respondents considering it a threat, despite a much higher proportion expressing the view that Spain should distance itself from the country. 

Yet the way this data is presented compresses a complex bilateral relationship into a single security dimension. Morocco and Spain maintain one of the most operationally dense partnerships in the Western Mediterranean, particularly in migration management, counterterrorism cooperation, and maritime security. 

These areas, while absent from the survey narrative, constitute the daily framework of interaction between Rabat and Madrid.

Between perception and policy

El Español’s report also notes that “61.4% of the respondents believe Spain ‘should distance itself’ from Morocco,” while simultaneously acknowledging divisions within Spanish political blocs. Even among Socialist voters, the article shows a near-even split, with “45.5%” favouring distance and “45.3%” favouring closer relations.

This tension between perception and preference illustrates the broader point that public opinion does not always mirror state policy. In practice, Spanish governments across different political orientations have continued to deepen coordination with Morocco, particularly on border management and regional stability, areas that often operate independently of fluctuating public sentiment.

Relations between Morocco and Spain remain structurally close and strategically anchored. 

In recent years, Spain has consistently expressed support for Morocco’s autonomy initiative regarding the Western Sahara, describing it as “the most serious, realistic and credible basis” for resolving the regional  dispute. 

This position marked a notable shift in Spanish diplomacy and has since served as a key reference point in bilateral relations. It also reflects a broader alignment on the importance of stability and territorial integrity as guiding principles in the region.

Strategic cooperation often left outside the frame

What remains largely absent from the survey-driven narrative is the structural interdependence that defines Morocco-Spain relations. 

Morocco is a key partner in controlling irregular migration routes across the Western Mediterranean, a domain where both countries have repeatedly coordinated operational responses. Economic ties also remain significant, with extensive trade flows and industrial cooperation linking both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar.

By focusing primarily on perceived “threats,” the article foregrounds a security reading that does not fully capture this layered reality. The result is a representation that leans heavily on public sentiment, while giving less space to institutional practice.

The role of perception in foreign policy discourse

El Español’s piece is part of a broader trend in European media where survey data increasingly shapes geopolitical narratives. Statements such as “57.6% see a ‘threat’ in Morocco” or “61.7% believe Spain should move closer to the US” are presented as indicators of strategic orientation, even though they reflect perception rather than policy.

In the case of Morocco, this distinction is particularly important. Despite fluctuating public perceptions, bilateral cooperation has remained one of the most stable pillars of Spain’s external relations in the Mediterranean.

The SocioMétrica survey offers a snapshot of Spanish public opinion at a moment of geopolitical uncertainty. Morocco’s presence in this data reflects more about how security is imagined in Spain than about the operational reality of the bilateral relationship.

Between perception and practice lies a more complex reality: one where Morocco is not merely viewed through the prism of “threat” or “distance,” but remains an essential interlocutor in managing shared regional challenges on Europe’s southern frontier.