Why France Is Willing To Forget That Morocco Spied On Its Prime Minister

You don't usually invite the guy who hacked your phone over for dinner.

But in the high-stakes world of Mediterranean geopolitics, rules are different. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is landing in Rabat for a highly anticipated diplomatic visit. Yet, a massive shadow has just been cast over the red carpet. Fresh revelations from the Forbidden Stories media consortium have laid bare a bitter truth: Morocco allegedly spent years using the notorious Pegasus spyware to target French officials, including Lecornu himself back when he was minister for local authorities in 2019.

This isn't just old news or a minor security breach. It's a calculated, state-sponsored intrusion by an ally. According to newly leaked intelligence files and testimonies, Morocco’s domestic intelligence agency (the DGST) ran a sophisticated espionage campaign that didn't just stop at French journalists and activists—it targeted the highest levels of the French state.

The real question isn't whether Rabat did it. The evidence is increasingly damning. The real question is why Paris is so desperate to overlook it.

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The Spyware Scandal French Diplomats Wish Would Go Away

For years, the French government played a delicate game of public outrage and private containment. When the Pegasus Project first blew the lid off the spyware scandal in 2021, the French political establishment reacted with shock. President Emmanuel Macron's personal phone number was on the target list, alongside former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe and 14 other cabinet ministers.

Morocco did what any state caught red-handed does: they denied everything and sued the journalists for defamation. French courts quietly threw those lawsuits out. Meanwhile, French intelligence agencies quietly confirmed that yes, the spyware was there, and yes, it was Morocco pulling the strings.

French Targets Identified in Pegasus Files:
• Emmanuel Macron (President)
• Sébastien Lecornu (Current PM, targeted in 2019)
• Édouard Philippe (Former PM)
• 14 Cabinet Ministers (including Justice & Foreign Affairs)
• Multiple journalists from Le Monde, Mediapart, and France 24

Now, the timing of these fresh leaks is a diplomatic nightmare. Just as Lecornu and a dozen ministers pack their bags to celebrate a massive "reset" in Franco-Moroccan relations, the technical traces of Moroccan spyware have been found again on Lecornu's old devices.

If you think this will derail the trip, you don't understand how modern diplomacy works.

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Why Western Sahara Changes Everything

The truth is, Paris needs Rabat more than it cares about a few hacked iPhones.

For years, Franco-Moroccan relations were in a deep freeze. Rabat was furious over French visa restrictions and Paris's stubborn neutrality on the Western Sahara conflict. But in 2024, Macron made a massive U-turn. He officially recognized Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara territory, effectively ending decades of balanced French foreign policy in North Africa.

This was a massive geopolitical gamble. It infuriated Algeria—Morocco’s regional rival—but it bought France a ticket back into Rabat’s good graces.

France’s influence in the Sahel has completely collapsed over the last few years. Military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have kicked French troops and diplomats out. Paris desperately needs a stable, powerful partner in North Africa to manage migration, share counter-terrorism intelligence, and counter growing Russian and Chinese influence in the region.

Morocco is that partner. If the price of that partnership is pretending your phone wasn't tapped by your host, the French government seems perfectly willing to pay it.

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The Hypocrisy of French Intelligence

There is a delicious irony in France's moral outrage over Pegasus.

According to the latest investigative reports, while French officials were busy condemning Morocco’s use of the spyware, French intelligence agencies were secretly meeting with NSO Group representatives. Between 2019 and 2020, French domestic intelligence held at least five meetings to negotiate purchasing the exact same Pegasus system for 60 to 80 million euros.

Macron ultimately blocked the deal in late 2020, not out of ethical concerns, but because he didn't want France relying on foreign-controlled technology.

It turns out that in the world of cyber-surveillance, the only real sin is getting caught.

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What Happens Next

Don't expect Lecornu to bring up Pegasus during his press conferences in Rabat. The official agenda will be packed with lucrative defense contracts, renewable energy partnerships, and high-tech industrial deals. Both sides want to talk about the future, not the uncomfortable digital crumbs left behind in 2019.

If you are following this story, keep an eye on these developments:

• The Spanish Connection: Watch how Spain reacts. The same Moroccan hacking apparatus that targeted French ministers also successfully compromised Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. The judicial inquiries in Madrid are starting to heat up again thanks to French intelligence sharing.
• The Judicial Fallout: While politicians shake hands, French and Spanish judges are still investigating the hacks. Watch if any formal indictments or state level demarches slip through the diplomatic cracks.
• The Algerian Backlash: As France and Morocco cement their alliance, Algeria’s reaction will likely shape regional energy security and gas flows to southern Europe.

Realpolitik has won this round. In the Mediterranean, strategic interests will always trump digital privacy.