Macron's 'disrespect' to Moroccan king allegedly caused crisis with Rabat

France's President Macron have spoken disrespectfully with the Moroccan king Mohammed VI leading to a two-year-long friction between the once inseparable friends Paris and Rabat, Moroccan-French author Tahar Ben Jelloun claimed on Tuesday, citing trusted sources.

In an interview with the Israeli channel I24 news, the multinational writer, who dedicated his career to analysing the politics in both states he calls home, revealed the details of "the breakup phone call" the two leaders allegedly had back in 2021 right after the Pegasus scandal.

"Macron complained after the Pegasus affair, but the king gave him his word of honour, that it is not his style. Macron responded in a very clumsy way I cannot tell what he said. (...) He disrespected the King of Morocco and their relationship was broken," explained Ben Jelloun. 

In 2021, the French daily Le Monde said the cell phones of French President Emmanuel Macron and fifteen members of the French government may have been among potential targets in 2019 of surveillance by spyware made by the Israel-based NSO Group. The Moroccan king was also among the targets.

« Emmanuel Macron a été très maladroit. Il a manqué de respect au roi du Maroc et leur relation a été rompue. »

Tahar Ben Jelloun, écrivain #Conversations pic.twitter.com/aoiQs8oBRD

— i24NEWS Français (@i24NEWS_FR) May 31, 2023

According to the French newspaper, the client was an unidentified Moroccan security service. Macron said he asked Morocco and Israel for clarifications. Rabat has denied all the allegations.

Paris and Rabat have yet to officially comment on this alleged phone call story.

Indeed, the apogee of Franco-Moroccan relations during the mandate of Jacques Chirac's infamous "Mamounia diplomacy" died under the socialist administration of Francois Hollande and Macron showed little interest in reviving it.

Though, Macron's ties with Rabat started on a good note in 2017. 

Newly elected Macron broke the long-standing presidential tradition of starting the mandate with an official visit to Algeria. He went instead to Rabat and stayed in the king's palace in what the media described as a "friendly visit".

Since then Macron has visited Morocco several times, mainly to inaugurate France-sponsored projects in the North African kingdom. 

The first signs of tension started showing right after the Pegasus scandal.

Since then, communication between the two leaders, Macron and Mohammed VI, has reportedly stopped, despite their geographical proximity.

In the last two years, the Moroccan king has spent some time in his residence in the 7th arrondissement in Paris, a stone's throw from the Élysée, according to the pan-African magazine Jeune African.

Though, over the past two years both states continued to deny "the political crisis."

"There is no Moroccan-French crisis. Today, there is a need to renovate and adapt this relationship," said Moroccan FM Nasser Bourita in December 2022.

However, reports of local media close to the state argue that Rabat's bad blood with Paris is due to France's ambiguous position on Western Sahara. An ambiguity Macron could not clear yet as he tries to make amends with Algeria, Rabat's arch enemy and the key ally of the Polisario Front that claims sovereignty over the territory which Rabat considers its own.

After months of denial, French President Emmanuel Macron publicly admitted in February shaky relations with Rabat.

"We will move forward. The stage is not the best, but this will not stop me," Macron said.