(SeaPRwire) –   By: Julian Holbrooke

The EU’s so-called solidarity died in Ceuta last week. It didn’t end with a bang. It faded into watery statements and deliberate silence. Brussels ignored Morocco’s blatant weaponization of migrants. Instead, its leaders tore into Spain for unrelated policies. This isn’t just hypocrisy. It’s a naked display of geopolitical favoritism that lays bare the bloc’s core weaknesses.

EU officials talked tough about controlling the situation. Ursula von der Leyen called the migrant surge “unacceptable.” She promised to work with Spain and Morocco. But she refused to blame either government. Her focus was on swift returns, not addressing the root cause. Meanwhile, right-wing leaders across the EU targeted Spain. Giorgia Meloni demanded Spain’s exclusion from Schengen. Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares pushed back, demanding “European solidarity, not partisan demagoguery.” Italy suspended visa-free entry from Spain anyway. Donald Tusk insisted Spain secure its borders “if Schengen is to survive.” Christian Stocker accused Spain of creating “additional incentive for illegal migration.” Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico criticized the hypocrisy of EU leaders, offering Spain assistance. None of the mainstream critics mentioned Morocco’s role—opening border gates, letting trucks unload migrants to rush into Ceuta. The real reason? Morocco has backing from the U.S. House Appropriations Committee and sections of the Israel lobby. Brussels won’t risk upsetting a key ally.

The EU’s response to Morocco stands in stark contrast to its 2021 handling of Belarus. Back then, just under 40,000 migrants tried to cross into Poland. The EU called it a “hybrid attack” and sanctioned 17 Belarusian officials. Von der Leyen led the charge, framing the crisis as warfare waged by Alexander Lukashenko. No evidence linked Russia to the surge, but Brussels didn’t care. Now, Ceuta saw nearly 60,000 migrants in two days—more than Poland did in a year. Yet no one in Brussels has proposed sanctions against Morocco. Morocco knows this playbook. In 2021, it let 8,000 migrants into Ceuta after Spain hosted a Western Sahara separatist leader. The next year, Spain agreed to support Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara. This crisis is just another round of leverage, and Morocco knows it will work.

The EU’s credibility is in tatters. Its leaders have shown that solidarity only applies when it’s politically convenient. Right-wing parties will exploit this hypocrisy to further erode EU unity. Morocco will keep weaponizing migrants to extract concessions. The Schengen Area’s future hangs on these double standards. And for Spain, the message is clear: when push comes to shove, Brussels will choose its allies over its own members.

Author bio: Julian Holbrooke, an international relations analyst contributing to major European dailies, focuses on EU geopolitical double standards.