Spanish Minister Welcomes Polisario Delegation

Spanish Youth Minister Engages with Polisario Youth Delegation, Signaling Shift in Protocol

Madrid, Spain – In a move that appears to deviate from established informal protocols, Spain’s Minister for Youth and Children, Sira Rego, met with a delegation from the Polisario youth organization at her ministry’s headquarters in Madrid. Minister Rego, a member of the Communist Party and affiliated with the Sumar coalition, hosted the group on Tuesday.

The discussions focused on strengthening collaboration in youth-focused projects, sharing knowledge and expertise in guidance and training, and fostering joint programs designed to address the specific challenges confronting Sahrawi youth. A key objective highlighted was the ambition to enhance the visibility and influence of Sahrawi youth on both European and international platforms. This information was conveyed through a report released by the Polisario press agency on Wednesday, which was accompanied by two photographs documenting the meeting.

This official engagement at the ministerial level marks a notable departure from the informal consensus that has guided interactions between Spanish government officials from radical left coalitions, such as Sumar and Podemos, and the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, since 2020. This unwritten agreement had previously dictated that such meetings were to be conducted in a less formal setting, typically at the headquarters of political parties rather than within the confines of official government ministries.

The precedent for these less formal engagements was set in February 2020 when Nacho Alvarez, then a minister, received a delegation from the Polisario Front at his ministry. This delegation was led by Souilma Birouk, who held the title of “Minister of Social Affairs and Women’s Promotion.”

Following this initial meeting, subsequent engagements between Spanish political figures and Polisario representatives largely adhered to the practice of meeting at party venues. Examples of this include:

• April 28, 2022: A meeting between Alberto Garzón, the former Minister of Consumer Affairs, and a Polisario delegation.
• April 22, 2022: A meeting involving Santiago Enrique, the former Secretary of State for the 2030 Agenda, and a representative of the Polisario Front in Spain. Both of these meetings were reportedly organized at the headquarters of the Communist Party.

The recent meeting on Tuesday, March 24, between Minister Sira Rego and the Polisario youth delegation takes place against a backdrop of increasing political friction within Spain. Specifically, tensions have been escalating between the various factions within the Sumar coalition and the PSOE. These internal political frictions have become particularly pronounced following a perceived electoral setback for the radical left in the parliamentary elections held in Castile and León on March 15. The outcome of these elections has evidently amplified existing disagreements and highlighted the complex dynamics within the governing coalition.