Ignacio Ortiz: The Canary Islands’ shift towards Morocco

One of the takeaways from this trip is that the Canary Islands have ceased to be an uncomfortable bystander regarding the Sahara and have finally become a decision-maker. And they have done so quietly, without grand proclamations, but with something far more uncomfortable for some: consistency and a sense of reality.

For decades, the archipelago was trapped in a permanent contradiction. On the one hand, it was the Spanish territory most exposed to the consequences of the conflict—migration, security, economic relations. On the other, it remained anchored in inherited discourses, more emotional than strategic, that resolved little or nothing on the ground. That dissonance has begun to break down.

The turning point is evident and has a clear political leader: Fernando Clavijo. And not so much for what he says, but for what he does. Because taking Spain’s position on the Sahara holds little merit if it remains merely an institutional statement. The key lies in understanding that alignment requires acting accordingly.

Agreements on investment, higher education, innovation, connectivity… all of this points in a clear direction: turning the Canary Islands–Morocco axis into a stable framework of shared interests.

And that is where the Canary Islands have taken a step that many did not expect. In the face of the inertia of other actors, the regional government has opted for a path as simple as it is uncomfortable for certain sectors: to cooperate with Morocco because it is necessary to do so. Without beating around the bush. Without complexes.

The recent intensification of relations with Rabat—and, very specifically, with the Souss-Massa region—is not the result of any improvisation. It is the realization of a strategy that has been in the works for some time. Agreements on investment, higher education, innovation, connectivity… all of this points in a clear direction: turning the Canary Islands–Morocco axis into a stable framework of shared interests.

And, yes, there is also direct dialogue with key figures such as Nasser Bourita. Something that, while not foreign policy in the strict sense, resembles a form of paradiplomacy when viewed from the outside. Enough, at least, to understand that the Canary Islands have decided to stop merely carrying out decisions made by others.

This is not about sympathies or ideological affinities. It is about geography, the economy, and pure political survival. The Canary Islands cannot afford the luxury of playing the ambiguity card in an environment where instability translates into migratory pressure, trade tensions, and structural vulnerability. While others debate in the abstract, the islands are dealing with real consequences.

That is why support for the pragmatic approach to the Sahara should not shock anyone with even a modicum of intellectual honesty. What should be shocking is having maintained for so long a political fiction incapable of producing results. Because it bears saying plainly: maximalist solutions—those that some continue to defend from the comfort of a distance—have served absolutely no purpose.

The Canary Islands’ shift introduces an element that had been conspicuously absent: realism. And realism, in politics, is often perceived as a threat by those who have built their discourse on immutable slogans. That explains part of the reaction we are seeing. It is not so much the decision itself that is being questioned, but the fact that it works.

Because that is the real problem. That it works.

That the Canary Islands reinforce their role as a bridge between Europe and Africa is not a new concept. What is new is that they are beginning to act as such. That they understand their geostrategic position is not just a rhetorical argument, but a tool that must be utilized. And that doing so inevitably requires a mature and stable relationship with Morocco.

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This also implies leaving behind certain political inertia that has shaped the debate for years. The automatic identification with pro-Polisario positions was part of a political landscape that no longer reflects current reality. Maintaining it today requires a considerable effort to disconnect from what is happening on the ground.

The Canary Islands have chosen the opposite path. They have chosen to connect.

And in that process, they are redefining their role within the state itself. Because when an autonomous community not only supports foreign policy but reinforces it with concrete actions, the message to the outside world changes. It gains consistency. It gains credibility. And, above all, it ceases to be debatable.

The result is a quiet but profound repositioning. The Canary Islands are no longer a territory observing the Sahara issue from the sidelines. They are an actor that understands that regional stability is not built on declarations, but on shared interests, effective cooperation, and uncomfortable decisions when necessary.

And that discomfort, precisely, is the best proof that something is changing. And it is surely for the better.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Maghrebi.org. Ignacio Ortiz is a journalist specializing in North African affairs, writing for Atalayar. He is also President of the Canaries-Sahara Forum.

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