In a surprising move, Algerian media swiftly dismissed the official statements made by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who had thanked Morocco for its assistance during the electricity outage crisis. The media accused Rabat of fabricating an imaginary achievement and questioned its actual role in the incident. The Algerian media never miss an opportunity to exploit situations to accuse Morocco and hold it responsible for regional crises. Recently, these outlets rushed to promote a narrative alleging Morocco's involvement, alongside Israel, in a cyberattack that caused a power outage in Spain, claiming it was a «retaliatory response» to Madrid's support for the Palestinian people. However, these claims quickly lost credibility, especially after official statements from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who expressed gratitude to both Morocco and France for supplying electricity to southern and northern Spain during the crisis earlier last week. Despite this, the newspaper Echorouk, known for its proximity to the authorities, published an article refuting Sanchez's statements, claiming that «the Spanish refuted the lies of the Makhzen», and adding that «the Makhzen committed a scandal that made it a subject of ridicule and mockery in Spain: it officially announced, through its press, that it helped Spain and provided it with electricity during the the blackout». The article claimed that as soon as the news was released, a storm of mockery swept through the media and social networks, disproving the Moroccan claim and exposing its malicious intent. In an attempt to justify its claims, the newspaper published fabricated statistics, alleging that «Morocco has one of the worst electrical networks in the world, that half of its cities experience daily power outages and fluctuations, that a third of its population only uses electricity at night due to high bills, and that a quarter—especially in rural areas—do not have access to electricity, according to the World Energy Organization and the testimony of Moroccans themselves». The Algerian newspaper also cited an article by Spanish journalist Ignacio Cembrero, known for his hostility towards Morocco. Describing him as «the greatest Spanish journalist», the article further claimed that «the Moroccan grid was saved, not the other way around. The power outage required an immediate adjustment of the Moroccan electrical system, which was successfully implemented». Echorouk continued, claiming that the Spanish Prime Minister thanked the Makhzen for «imaginary assistance» in supplying Spain with electricity. Spanish commentators reportedly said: «Do not pay attention to what the Prime Minister said; he is more Moroccan than the King of the Makhzen». Spanish Media Confirms Morocco's Crucial Role Contrary to the claims of the Algerian media, major Spanish newspapers covered Morocco's support for Spain. El País reported, «Morocco, which usually relies on Spain to meet its growing electricity needs, mobilized up to 38% of its production capacity on Monday afternoon (April 28) to send energy, aiming to restart supplies cut off due to the power outage in southern Iberian Peninsula». El Independiente noted that at the time of the power outage, Morocco was «importing about 778 megawatts of electricity from the Spanish grid». It added: «In record time, Morocco managed to prevent its supply from dropping to zero, a rare incident that lasted for 12 hours and became a lifeline for the Iberian Peninsula». The newspaper explained that Morocco exported 5.45% of the electricity available in the Spanish market, generated from a mix of coal and natural gas. Spain and Morocco are connected by two electrical links with a capacity of 400 kilovolts and 1,400 megawatts, installed in 1998. A third link is scheduled for implementation in 2028. The Kingdom is also considering a connection with France and Mauritania. Morocco's Energy Independence Plans Morocco is actively seeking energy independence. Recently, the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development launched a tender to develop national gas infrastructure, including the construction of Morocco's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at the Nador West Med port. The Kingdom is also pursuing the construction of an African Atlantic gas pipeline from Nigeria—a project that Algeria deems unfeasible—while promoting its own project to transport gas from Nigeria to the Mediterranean through Niger, despite strained relations with Niger, which have escalated to the point of recalling ambassadors. This media campaign is part of a broader pattern of repeated accusations by official or pro-government media in Algeria, targeting Morocco in every crisis or incident. The intensity of these media attacks increases whenever Morocco achieves diplomatic successes on the international stage, particularly regarding the Western Sahara conflict.
