Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Abderrahim Chalfaouat
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Can the Maghreb Union resurrect without Morocco-Algeria rapprochement?
Ironically, Maghreb governments grieve the missed opportunities of their decadent union, but refrain from taking genuine steps to bridge divides. Moroccan officials, for instance, frequently extol the benefits of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU). King Mohamed VI’s message to the EU-AU summit in Abidjan last November criticised the Maghreb...
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Morocco’s ex-PM resists marginalisation and promises a hard-fought election in 2021
While the Moroccan government displays outward harmony, an exchange of media statements has stirred up the seemingly calm atmosphere among its members. Unlike the previous government run by the Justice and Development Party (PJD), little media criticism tracks the current administration’s pitfalls, despite problematic policies. However, added to non-stop...
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Poverty provokes public anger in Morocco
Official corruption in Morocco hampers the fight to reduce poverty. This is especially true in more remote areas, where local officials pay less notice to national programmes to tackle the issue. What’s more, no matter what promises are made at election time, they fail to materialise due to deep...
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Restoring the dignity of the teacher in Morocco requires a multifaceted approach
The general public in Morocco are familiar with the decline of educational standards, yet blaming teachers alone for the failure is common. Education personnel generally know that violence, drug-taking and cheating in examinations epitomise the deeper tension of reciprocal mistrust between schools and society. Such tension affects social cohesion...
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Why are teachers’ rights marginalised in Morocco?
The Moroccan Ministry of Education has been working hectically to rectify some of the setbacks from which the sector suffers, especially before the recent sacking of ministers. New teachers have been recruited and ministerial committees have organised surprising field visits. In addition, anti-absenteeism measures have been applied strictly, displaying...
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Israel’s normalisation efforts soar against the public’s wishes
With the Arab Spring backlash, regional powers which support the Palestinians, especially the resistance groups, are busy solving their domestic concerns. While Turkey is still coming to grips with the aftermath of last year’s failed coup, Qatar is wounded by its isolation by other Gulf countries. Aside from this,...
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Despite overseas achievements, Morocco is unable to hide human right abuses at home
The democratic reversal in Morocco confronts the state with a true dilemma. While the kingdom is requested to abide by global human rights benchmarks, local developments thwart a genuine respect for freedom of speech, adherence to the 2011 Constitution or benefitting from the glow of foreign relations. In their...
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Is the educational system behind Morocco’s decadent social values?
As a new academic year starts, several social woes question the role that schools play in mitigating Morocco’s “decaying” value system. Despite non-stop official discourse that ranks education as the kingdom’s second top priority – after the Sahara issue — the educational system is frequently blamed for both a...
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The weakening of Morocco’s state institutions worsens the political logjam
As the Moroccan state itches for an exit from the Rif stalemate, the breaking of genuine compromises seems uncomfortable. True, street protests have abated in Al-Huceima due to a police crackdown and mass surveillance, while activists have faced defamation, imprisonment, transfer to Casablanca and selective royal pardons. However, since...
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In Morocco, stopping the Rif mobilisation requires democratisation
Mistakes and stubbornness still characterise Morocco’s state reactions to the Rif Hirak (“mobilisation”) subsequent to Mouhcine Fikri’s sordid death. Protests, meanwhile, have been relentless and mostly peaceful. Any “violence” by activists has been defensive, while the state seems to be engaged in an unequal tug-of-war with them. With the...
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The Riyadh summit is forgotten amidst the Qatar crisis
Though the Saudi-led embargo on Qatar started immediately after the Arab Islamic American summit in Riyadh in May, little is remembered about the promises President Donald Trump made in exchange for a price. Instead, events prove the summit had little to do with strengthening relations, confronting extremism or fostering...
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In Morocco, youths can also be victims of partisan struggle
The bewildering unpredictability leading up to the October elections last year impelled the state to put pressure on Morocco’s political parties which challenged its ready-made framework to axe reforms. Uncertainty and exchanged resistance prompted six Justice and Development Party (PJD) youth members to launch a Facebook page that they...
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Al-Hoceima protests mirror Morocco’s political fragility
Ever since Mohcine Fikri’s gruesome crushing-to-death in a rubbish truck, the mountainous Rif area in north-eastern Morocco has been simmering. In successive escalations, since 28 October, protestors have poured onto the streets in Al-Hoceima province, the Rif’s capital, seeking justice for the fish-vendor’s family while, on a wider level,...
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Why the new government in Morocco is doomed to failure
In reaction to the unexpected 7 October elections shock, the deep state apparently has engaged fervently in reshaping its long term tactics to regain monopoly over relations with political actors. True, the pattern of launching constitution-based reforms and then halting nascent experiences a few years later is not new...
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Moroccan politics and the king’s revenge
Despite high popularity and a large election win after a relatively successful governmental mandate, the Justice and Development Party (PJD) is facing its most intriguing situation post-2011. Abdelilah Benkirane’s five-month perseverance effort to protect the public has been dashed not only by the royal decision to task Saad Eddine...
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The Moroccan government impasse has a number of potential scenarios
Among his most recent media coverage, Abdelilah Benkiran, designated as Morocco’s head of government, reaffirmed the halting of government-forming negotiations. After four months of trying, he admits bluntly to the absence of serious negotiators. The situation deals a blow to democratisation promises from the highest political authorities in post-2011...
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A sad time for Morocco’s nascent democracy
While the Moroccan public are increasingly irritated at the obstacles delaying the formation of the second post-2011 government, the three-month political void does little to reward voters’ perseverance on 7 October. Last year’s election saw most party leaders abstaining from participating in person; their campaigns were timid in recognition...
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Respect election results or lose Moroccans’ support for democratisation
Describing the 7 October elections in Morocco as a political earthquake is no exaggeration. Given the mounting levels of literacy and social media savvy, votes in cities were expected to favour candidates who keep an arm’s-length from the state. Yet, even roadmaps drawn for countryside or poor or illiterate...
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Morocco’s stalemate over forming a new government legitimises previous reforms
As the second post-2011 government has lingered in Morocco’s corridors of power for more than two months, optimistic and grim scenarios have been suggested. Among other options, Justice and Development Party (PJD) leaders have expressed their readiness for another election. They are depending on the party’s positive reputation since...
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Anger over the crushed fishmonger continues, but are officials listening?
When the late Mouhcine Fikri jumped into a garbage truck to save his fish from destruction, he was aware of the potential risks but did not expect that it would be the last thing that he’d ever do. His death in the truck set fire to the streets of...
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Illiteracy facilitates corruption in Morocco, so education must be a priority
Moroccan governments have invested efforts and finance in the education system in the fight against illiteracy and poverty, or at least to tame their damaging effects on society. Nevertheless, events within and beyond educational buildings reveal the wide divide between public policies and the promised levels of progress in...
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Morocco’s PJD learns from Arab Spring by promoting reform and preserving stability
In the run-up to the 7 October legislative elections in Morocco campaigning is well under way, with the main political parties engaged in different strategies. The Establishment-backed Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) promises to save the country from collapse, turning a blind eye to the government’s efforts of the...
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Political success in Morocco will help whole Arab region
The third commemoration of the Rabaa and Nahda massacres forces us to revisit two issues, at least. The first is the international community’s phoney treatment of a bloody military coup. Hundreds were killed in civilian sit-ins that demanded ballot box respect, while influential countries rushed to justify the crime....
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Corruption is crippling Morocco’s nascent democracy
Several months ago, Moroccan foreign relations reached a political impasse. The Sahara affair, more particularly, led the kingdom’s relations with the UN secretary general, the US, the EU and some Arab and African states to falter. A sudden policy change has commingled foreign investment with political cards to create...