In the lower house of the Spanish Parliament, the Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, addressed the controversy sparked by the publication of a full map of Morocco by AEMET—the national meteorological agency—that included Western Sahara. When asked whether the map would be revised, she referred to a «technical complexity» but did not confirm any forthcoming changes, according to El Independiente. The map in question, shared on AEMET's social media channels in March, originates from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), a European Union program implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). The map illustrates temperature anomalies and, according to AEMET, carries no political implications, as the data provided is open and freely accessible. Last week, two MPs from the far-left coalition Sumar formally requested that AEMET «correct» the map of Morocco to exclude Western Sahara. The request, submitted by Enrique Santiago and Toni Valero, has not yet received a public response from the meteorological agency. The Spanish far left, meanwhile, is currently engaged in commemorating the proclamation of the Second Republic on April 14, 1931. In their written questions, the Sumar parliamentarians also urged Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government to «take steps to support the self-determination of the Sahrawi people through a referendum, in accordance with United Nations resolutions». Spanish public institutions often «correct» maps including Western Sahara within Morocco's borders following complaints from allies of the Polisario Front. This was the case with ENAIRE, the company in charge of air navigation, and the director general of RTVE, who issued an apology in December 2023.
