Invested in the yellow djellaba of Alawite royalty, Mohamed VI addressed a message to Parliament and the Government this Friday afternoon in which he appealed to reinforce social and territorial justice after the recent Moroccan conflict, the largest in two decades. “This is not an empty motto or a priority for the moment, but rather a strategic orientation (from the monarchy to the public powers) that requires all the energies and in which everyone must get involved,” the sovereign warned in the opening speech of the parliamentary year, in which he usually expresses guidelines for the programs of the public powers. The one who has led the revolt of the so-called generation Z since the end of last September, suspended his mobilizations coinciding with the speech of the king, to whom he has directly presented his demands for improving healthcare, education and the fight against corruption, after demanding the resignation of the prime minister, the liberal Aziz Ajanuch.
Acclaimed by thousands of people – in a display of citizen mobilization with few precedents in Rabat – throughout his journey from the royal palace to the headquarters of Parliament – from whose balcony he greeted the crowd with restrained gestures – the monarch has not responded in his speech directly to the expectations, although his words have reflected that he echoed the expectations placed on his figure, as the key to the dome. of power in Morocco.
Mohamed VI reminded parliamentarians and ministers that the last year of a legislature that began in 2021 begins and that, if there is no electoral advance, it must end in 2026. They are, meanwhile, exposed to the alternatives that the constitutional framework offers to the head of State to end the mandate of the Cabinet or to force the dissolution of Parliament.
For now, the king has limited himself to establishing the guideline that “there should be no contradiction or rivalry between major national projects,” such as the construction of soccer stadiums and large infrastructure for the African Cup of Nations, which begins in December, or the 2030 World Cup (co-organized with Spain and Portugal) and social programs. Mohamed VI thus alluded to the reform of public education and health, whose precarious state has been denounced by young people in demonstrations throughout the country.
“Special attention must be paid to citizen support and communication on the initiatives of public authorities,” the sovereign emphasized in a veiled admonition to the Executive, “as well as on the various laws and decisions, particularly those directly related to rights and freedoms.”
The complaints about the restrictions on freedom of expression and demonstration have been reflected in the memorial of grievances sent from social networks to the king by those after bypassing the Government and the legislative chambers. He has, however, been much more explicit in urging the “creation of employment opportunities for young people” and promoting “the education and health sectors.”
As he already invoked in his last July on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of his arrival to the throne, he called this Friday to “guarantee that the fruits of growth benefit everyone (…) with equal political, economic and social rights”, and prevent the consolidation of a “two-speed Morocco” between developed and backward territories.
“The double dimension of social justice and the fight against territorial inequalities is far from being an empty slogan or a short-term priority,” reiterated the monarch of the Alawite dynasty, who defined this message as “a strategic guideline.”
Without expressly citing the demands of young people against corruption and nepotism in the Administration, Mohamed VI has demanded “a significant change in mentality and work methods, as well as a culture of ingrained results” among public powers.
Finally, he deviated from the script by calling for “development of the mountainous areas, which cover 30% of the national territory,” after the protests called by those affected by the earthquake that shook the High Atlas two years ago, resulting in a large part of which still have not been rebuilt.
The message of the king, whom the young people of generation Z have excluded from the responsibilities they attribute to the Government, would have to be put into practice and obtain budgetary resources. The Minister of Economy and Finance, Nadia Alawi, assured on Thursday night during a reception at the Spanish Embassy in Rabat that Morocco has the resources to be able to address social demands and at the same time continue with the development of large infrastructures before the 2030 Soccer World Cup.
Three protesters dead
But in addition to greater social spending, young people under 30 years of age who have demonstrated for nearly two weeks in the main cities of the Maghreb country also demand the release of those detained in the protests and accountability to power. In the neighboring city of Laqliaa, near Agadir (south) due to shots fired by security forces in an attempted assault on a police post. A hundred young people remain in prison awaiting trial throughout the country, while more than 250 have been provisionally released, also pending criminal proceedings.
“Demanding the head of state to dismiss the head of the government, as the protesters are asking, is not contemplated in the Constitution,” warns Abderahim el Allam, professor of Political Science at the University of Marrakech, quoted by the weekly, which implies that the prime minister remains in office pending an early election, but cannot remove him from his position. There is also the possibility of the resignation of the Government, which could lead to a clash with the monarch, who holds executive constitutional prerogatives and directly appoints the so-called ministers of sovereignty, such as Interior, Foreign Affairs or Religious Affairs.
