| Abstract [eng] |
This Master's thesis focuses on the Moroccan diplomatic discourse, as found in the communications of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco and in the Moroccan media, in relation to the two most recent major migratory crises recorded in the Spanish exclaves. Thus, the aim of this paper is to analyse how the Kingdom of Morocco has used the images of Ceuta and Melilla in its diplomatic discourse in the period 2021-2022 in order to reinforce its power in its relations with Spain and the European Union. In order to achieve this aim, it was important to set the following objectives: firstly, to show how discourse can be used to implement reverse conditionality; secondly, to define the criteria for the analysis of Moroccan discourse on Ceuta and Melilla; thirdly, to analyse the Morocco's use of the discourse covering Ceuta and Melilla in the period 2021-2022; and, lastly, to draw some conclusions on the way in which the Kingdom of Morocco has used the images of Ceuta and Melilla in its efforts to consolidate its power. Although the Spanish exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla are often at the centre of the discourse, the narratives of recent years that allow Morocco to take advantage of its geographical position to put pressure on Ceuta and Melilla and to pursue its own personal goals have not been widely explored. Thus, there is a serious lack of in-depth research on the discourse used by the North African state as a tool of power. This raises a problem for this thesis: while there is no doubt that Morocco uses reverse conditionality through Ceuta and Melilla to show its power and to try to gain financial or political benefits, it is not entirely clear which narratives used by the North African state involving Ceuta and Melilla allow it to reinforce its stance. The theoretical part consists of one chapter of three subsections, which draws on the literature of foreign researchers. The first section introduces political and reverse conditionality, outlines the relation of the latter concept to the field of migration, and defines types of migration diplomacy. It then discusses diplomatic and political discourse, identifying their features, functions, objectives, similarities and differences. Finally, the link between discourse and reverse conditionality is explained – showing how discourse can serve as an important tool in implementing of this principle. The empirical part analyses examples of diplomatic discourse used by the Kingdom of Morocco in the period 2021-2022 from different sources, such as the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco and different news outlets in the country. The study shows that Morocco has used the images of Ceuta and Melilla strategically to reinforce its power in its relations with Spain and the European Union, taking into account diffferent audiences - internal and external. Morocco communicates directly and actively about Spanish exclaves to its internal audience, the Moroccans, while making virtually no mention of Ceuta and Melilla to its external audience, Spain and the EU. Morocco's media coverage of Ceuta and Melilla is mainly a lexical claiming of Spanish towns, but there are occasional cases where visual methods are also used, with the Moroccan diplomatic institution mapping out its claims to Ceuta and Melilla. Meanwhile, the North African state, communicating through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco, is taking various steps to divert attention away from the migration crises. |
