Belgian Party Leader Submits Bill to Recognize Morocco’s Sovereignty Over Western Sahara

Rabat, The Gulf Observer: In a significant development likely to impact European positions on the Western Sahara dispute, Georges-Louis Bouchez, President of Belgium’s Reformist Movement Party (MR), has announced the submission of a bill to Belgium’s federal parliament calling for the official recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the territory.

The move was confirmed by the party’s official website during Bouchez’s visit to Morocco, where he held a series of high-level diplomatic meetings aimed at deepening ties between Rabat and Brussels.

“These initiatives are part of a long-term vision based on judicial cooperation, shared security, and support for a political plan to ensure stability in this region of Morocco,” read the statement. The proposed bill explicitly endorses Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the most credible and realistic solution to resolve the decades-long conflict over Western Sahara.

Speaking from Morocco, Bouchez emphasized the viability and effectiveness of the Moroccan administration in the region, which he personally witnessed during his visits to Laayoune and Dakhla. He described the southern provinces as “areas of development, stability, and peace,” further underscoring the merits of Morocco’s proposal.

The Reformist Movement Party also called on Belgium to move past its traditional position of neutrality, which it argued no longer aligns with current geopolitical dynamics. “A clear recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty is consistent with international law,” the party asserted, adding that such a step would support a realistic political solution based on the conditions on the ground.

Belgium has previously acknowledged the Autonomy Plan as a serious and credible framework for negotiations. However, a direct recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara would mark a notable diplomatic shift and strengthen Morocco’s international momentum on the issue.

To date, 113 countries have voiced support for the Moroccan autonomy initiative, with growing international recognition viewing it as the only feasible and peaceful resolution to the conflict. Among the latest to join the chorus of support is South Korea, which earlier this month officially welcomed Morocco’s proposal and lauded its seriousness and credibility.

“Korea takes note of the Moroccan autonomy proposal presented in April 2007 to the Secretary-General of the UN and welcomes serious and credible Moroccan efforts to move the process forward,” Seoul’s government stated on May 9.

The proposal from Bouchez is expected to fuel further debate within Belgian political circles and could serve as a catalyst for a wider shift in EU positioning, particularly as several member states weigh the implications of a more assertive stance on the Western Sahara file.