[Cyph0n]

It would also be great if Ceuta and Melilla returned back to Morocco, and if Western Sahara in turn gained its independence from Morocco.

As an aside, I have always found it ironic how Spain continuously whines about Gibraltar while doing the exact same thing to Morocco. At the very least, Spain was smart/lucky enough to lobby the UN early on to not include Ceuta and Melilla in the decolonization list.

[froidpink]

Ceuta was never Moroccan. In fact, Morocco didn't even exist when Ceuta became part of Portugal first (1415) and then Spain (either 1580 or 1640). Ceuta was a part of the Spanish Visigoth kingdom in the 7th Century before the Islamic Conquest (which for some reason we don't call colonisation). Ceuta has always had a strong connection with the rulers of Iberia.

Gibraltar, on the other hand, was just lost in the War of Spanish succession to the British Empire, and has had a British connection to them since then, but never before

[Cyph0n]

Yep, it’s always justified by the fact that Morocco never existed and therefore has no claim.

But applying this logic universally would change the world map, not to mention that this justification ignores the fact that the concept of a nation state is relatively new as a norm.

Regardless, I and many others will continue to ridicule Spain’s paradoxical position on Gibraltar. Hopefully a just resolution is realized for all parties at some point in the future.

[Buxato]

It couldn't be returned to a country that didn't exists before that places belonged to Spain. Its not the same thing, people that lived in Gibraltar was moved out. UN agrees with that, Spain politicians are to dumb to lobby anything. Check how much Spain spends in lobbying in US and how much Morocco (that its not even a democracy) spends.

[Cyph0n]

“But Morocco didn’t exist!” - addressed in another reply, see sibling.

The UN argument boils down to Spain lobbying the UN early on (post-WW2) at a time when Morocco and other North African and West Asian states either did not exist yet or did not have the ability to represent themselves well at the UN.