Portugal signalled fresh support on Tuesday for Morocco’s 2007 autonomy blueprint for Western Sahara, with Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel describing the proposal as “a serious, credible basis” for settling the half‑century dispute.
After talks in Lisbon with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita, Rangel said Portugal now aligns with France, Spain and the United Kingdom in viewing Rabat’s offer of limited self‑rule under Moroccan sovereignty as the most realistic path forward, while noting that any agreement must remain “under U.N. auspices.” The statement stops short of outright recognition of Moroccan sovereignty but widens Western diplomatic backing for the plan.
Plan details and regional stakes
Morocco’s proposal would let Western Sahara elect its own legislative, executive and judicial bodies, with Rabat retaining control over defence, foreign policy and religious affairs. Algeria‑backed Polisario Front rebels, who proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in exile in 1976, continue to insist on a U.N.‑supervised independence referendum — a vote stalled for decades.
Political scientist José Tomaz Castello Branco said Lisbon’s carefully‑worded position “opens the door to future formal recognition of Moroccan sovereignty” while preserving diplomatic flexibility with Algeria and the Polisario. The centre‑right government’s stance builds on a 2023 declaration by Portugal’s previous Socialist administration that labelled the Moroccan plan “realistic, serious and credible.”
France and Spain, former colonial power in Western Sahara, formally endorsed the autonomy framework in 2022, calling it the “most credible” solution. Portugal’s endorsement adds momentum as U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura seeks to revive stalled negotiations between Rabat and the Polisario.