IEMed. Mediterranean Yearbook 2015 176 Geographical Overview | Maghreb Panorama throughout 2014, the Justice and Development Party throughout 2014, theJusticeandDevelopment Party In fact,asofthecabinetreshuffle inlate2013and Stability overChange struggle againstcorruptionandtherentiereconomy. vourable tothepoorestsectors,aswell ic programme, perceived by its supporters as fa- has thusnotmanagedtocarryoutitssocioeconom- spite severalattemptsduringitsfirstyearinpower,it apogee, hasthereafterbeenonthedefensive.De- sounding whentheArabSpringeuphoriawasatits ber 2011electionswithdrumsbeatingandtrumpets government’s party, whichhadwon the25Novem- Spring politicalbalanceinMorocco.Theheadof wait…) hasprofoundlyshakenthefragilepost-Arab supported bytheUnitedArabEmiratesandKu- matic offensive in the very wealthy Saudi Arabia, and Yemen, an unprecedentedanti-changediplo- Egypt, bloodycivilwarsboggingdownSyria,Libya palace camp.TheArabcontext(themilitarycoupin ticularly insofarassharingpowerwiththeroyal cessions tothepre-ArabSpringestablishment, par- ond halfof2013bymakingsignificantpoliticalcon- the headofcoalitiongovernmentduringsec- erate conservativeleader,onlymanagedtostayat ing thegovernment.Inanycase,Benkirane,amod- mist partyindependentfromthemonarchyishead- This isthefirsttimeinMoroccanhistorythatanIsla- ‘Arab’ Spring)occurringoverthecourseof2011. protests (the Moroccan version of the so-called elections broughtonbythe20FebruaryMovement tion. Thecabinetledbyhimresultedfromtheearly 2014 wasthethirdyearofBenkiraneadministra- Mohammed V , Professor Maâti Monjib The Returnof Authoritarianism 2014: Geographical Overview|Maghreb to fightfora parliamentary regimewhere theKing – formed a federation on 23 March 2014 with a view and theSocialistDemocratic Vanguard Party(PADS) the Ittihadi National Congress Party (CNI) ty (PSU), deed, threeleftistparties–the UnifiedSocialistPar- leading totheelectionsthat broughtittopower.In- the backboneofpro-democraticdemonstrations distances itevenmorefromtheforcescomprising secretary generalofthePJD.Suchanorientation ments bytheheadofgovernment,whoisalso bility. Thisconceptwasrecurrent in2014state- change byinsistingonMorocco’s vital needforsta- ing resultsinthesphereofpoliticalandsocial now tends to justify the lack of convinc- corruption!), da AlIstibdadwalFassad!” (Againstdespotismand 2011 electionthankstoitssloganforchange“Did- The PJD,whichhadwontheearly25November tries exceptTunisia. al regressionoccurringinalltheArabSpringcoun- 2011 and2012ispart,asstatedabove,ofagener- Morocco afterthedemocraticprogress made in battlefields suchastheSahel.Thisregressionby participating inthecombatsSyria,Iraqandother large partofthembearingEuropeanpassports,are or al-Qaeda.SometwothousandMoroccans, a country byextremistgroups,whetherloyaltoDaesh This isimplicitlyjustifiedbytherealthreatsto of securityagenciesindecision-makingprocesses. has beenaccompaniedbyanincreaseintheweight This returntopre-2011monarchicauthoritarianism er heldbythePrimeMinisterdwindleevenmore. Education bypalaceofficialshasmadethelittlepow- tries suchasthoseoftheInterior,ForeignAffairsand powers. Afterthisreshuffle,controloverkeyminis- royal powers–formerlydiscretionaryintolimited utive branch substantial powers while turning various pretation ofthe2011Constitutiongrantingexec- tive branch.Itthusrelinquishedademocraticinter- come toterms with royalhegemonyovertheexecu- (PJD) headingthecoalitionseemstohavedefinitively tack itsheadusingthesame populistregister.Thus results insofar as economic and social reform to at- tion takesadvantageofthe government’sweak tem’s elites,whofearfortheirinterests.Theopposi- ing todogoodforhiscountrybutfoiledbythesys- latter increasinglyperceiveshimassomeonewish- Benkirane’s popularityisintactinpublicopinion.The also agodsendfortheheadofgovernment.Indeed, less verbalsparringmatchesandpolemicsbutare gained thepopulation’sattentionandcausedend- liament, in which he attacks the opposition, have lar andapparentlyanti-systemoutburstsbeforePar- criticism ofthePJDanditsleader.Benkirane’sregu- in mind,closetothepalace,continuetheirscathing whichare,wemustkeep of Popular Forces(USFP), theIstiqlalParty(PI)andSocialistUnion (PAM), marily ofthePartyforAuthenticityandModernity The oppositionpartiesinParliament,consistingpri- an Unprecedented LevelofPopulism The PoliticalDiscoursein2014Reached for politicalchangewhilemaintainingcivilpeace. and secularmovementsinordertocontinueaction explore pathstowardsententebetweenreligious Fouad Abdelmoumni. The aim of the meeting was to 20 FebruaryMovementsuchasWidadMelhafand Abdelwahed Mutawakkil,aswellactivistsofthe Islamist association, al-Adl Wal such as Ihsan (AWI), dellah ElHarrif,leadersofthepowerfulmoderate tary leftist leaders such as Mohamed Sassi and Ab- 6 April. Amongthemwereimportantnon-parliamen- political andcivilsocietyleadersmetinRabaton the failureof2011reformpromises,somefifty aiming to bring together all those disappointed by would rulewithoutgoverning.Inthesamedynamic 1 elites, whofearfortheirinterests country butfoiledbythesystem’s someone wishingtodogoodforhis increasingly perceiveshimas public opinion.Thelatter Benkirane’s popularityisintactin ThroneDaySpeech byMohammedVIon30July2014 ) ( : sectors?” all Moroccansenjoyeditor diditonlyaffectcertain myself inastonishment:where isthisfortune?Have ment. Hestated:“I,liketheMoroccanpeople,ask sulting tension,whileimplicitlyblamingthegovern- King likewisementionedsocialinjusticeandthere- In histraditionalThroneDaySpeechinlateJuly, the from economicdevelopment the lowerclassesarenotbenefiting to protectthemiddleclassandthat announced thatMoroccohasfailed The InternationalMonetaryFund regarding their own ability to save. regarding theirownabilitytosave. find solutionstotheproblemofunemploymentand are ratherpessimisticastothecountry’scapacity the officialHighPlanningCommission.Households lows thesamelines,accordingto2014reportby The relatively low morale of Moroccan families fol- of 187 countries on the Human Development Index. man DevelopmentReportrankedMorocco129thout development. Bythesametoken,2014UNHu- the lowerclassesarenotbenefitingfromeconomic rocco hasfailedtoprotectthemiddleclassandthat The InternationalMonetaryFundannouncedthatMo- cost oflivingforthepoorandmiddleclasses. the social level, leading in particular to ariseinthe Such measureshavehadpainfulconsequenceson commodities tolevelsaffordablethepopulation). Fund, whoseofficialgoalistokeeppricesofessential 20% inpublicfundingallocatedtotheCompensation energy subsidycuts(adecreaseofapproximately tion continuedtotakeausteritymeasures,suchas proved its performance but the Benkirane Administra- Insofar as the economy, theproductivemachine im- Austerity andSocialSafetyNets Islamic State)andMossad. cused theleaderofPJDworkingforDaesh(the most importantparliamentaryoppositionparty, ac- ,theSecretaryGeneralofIstiqlal, 1

IEMed. Mediterranean Yearbook 2015 177 Geographical Overview | Maghreb Panorama IEMed. Mediterranean Yearbook 2015 178 Geographical Overview | Maghreb Panorama hara, 2014 was the year of the crisis with . France. with hara, 2014wastheyearof thecrisis and theUnitedNationson matterofWestern Sa- brief butrelativelyacutecrisis withtheUnitedStates On thediplomaticlevel,while2013wasmarkedbya Goodbye Paris,HelloMadrid of theYear Moroccan DiplomacyovertheCourse read orwriteuponcompletingprimaryschool. majority ofMoroccanstudentsdonotknowhowto ed on23Septemberatapressconferencethatthe use hisownwords,oftheeducationsector.Hestat- Education acknowledgesthe“catastrophic” state,to official andtheindependentmedia.TheMinisterof Their seriousdysfunctionispointedoutbyboththe sations, includingthoseinfavourofthegovernment. garner anger and criticism from civil society organi- level, theeducationandhealthsectorscontinueto and tolowerthepriceofmedicine.Onsocial established toassistworkershavinglosttheirjobs ute partofthepopulation.Measureswerelikewise out pensions,butinpractice,thisonlyaffectsamin- nors intheirchargeaswelldivorcedwomenwith- to establishaminimumincomeforwidowswithmi- reforms onlowrevenue,thegovernmentproceeded In anycase,inordertolimittheimpactofstated several yearsago,eventuallyreachingMorocco. – of thecountry’smostimportanteconomicpartners repercussions oftheeconomiccrisisthatstrucksome recalling thecrushingweightofdebtserviceand the lowestsalaries.Thegovernmentjustifieditselfby order andparticularlyincludedademandforraising mands, which were essentially of a socio-economic But thegovernmentrefusedtoaccedetheirde- general strikeon23Septemberwithrelativesuccess. friendly withtheparliamentaryoppositionorganiseda Under theseconditions,threetradeunioncentres rocco, itistheKingwhogovernsandnotPJD. Afro-American SummitinWashington DCthatinMo- seemed toreplythe sovereign, statingduringthe Slightly overaweeklater,theHeadofGovernment 2 Seethestatements byAbdelilahBenkiranefrom8August 2014ontheAlHurratelevisionwebsite. namely, theEuropean Union and theUnited States – 2 Army firedonaMoroccansurveillance postnearthe Some twoweekslater,members oftheAlgerian who isperceivedasfavourable toMorocco. of themainpolitical-militaryactorsinnorthernMali, one Movement fortheLiberationofAzawad(MNLA), received Bilal Ag Cherif,the leader oftheNational back onthecontinent,inlateJanuary2014,King gious onesattimes.InlinewithMorocco’scome- and culturalcooperationagreements,aswellreli- often including businesspeople, led to economic Africa. His visits, which involved large delegations the continent, particularly to Western and Equatorial several yearsnow, theKingtookanumberoftripson in peacemakingeffortsMali.In2014,ashehasfor In fact,KingMohammedVIisplayinganactiverole Vitality andRashnessinAfrica Paris considersitsbackyard. success insub-SaharanAfrica,asubregionthat rocco fortheKingdom’sdiplomaticandeconomic press heldthatFrancewasretaliatingagainstMo- the direct cause ofthecrisis, indicated above.Said tween thetwocapitalsbutrarelyopenlymentioned ment gavevariousexplanationsforthetensionbe- The Moroccanpresswithaffinitiestothegovern- cooperation withParistoaminimum. tween thetwocountriesandreduceditssecurity bat unilaterallysuspendedjudiciarycooperationbe- dence oftheMoroccanambassadortoFrance,Ra- As soonasthesummons was presented at theresi- arrested andtorturedbyMoroccansecretservice. by peoplelivinginFrancewhoclaimedtohavebeen onage byFrenchcourtsfollowingcomplaintsmade the summoning of Morocco’s head of counter-espi- nial powerinaquarterofcentury. Thecausewas serious crisisMoroccohashadwiththeformercolo- 2014 anddidnotenduntilearly2015,isthemost The crisiswithFrance,whichbeganinFebruary out 2014. note inUS-Moroccanrelationsthatlastedthrough- his meetingwithBarackObamaexpressedapositive Mohammed VI’striptoWashington inlate2013and the estrangementwithParis.Bysametoken,King with Spainemerge,thelatterseemingtobenefitfrom Over thecourseof2014,nearlyperfectrelations sion offreedomthepressandpublicfreedoms ranks an unenviable 136th out of 180. This regres- on freedomofthepressinworld.Thecountry ders criticisesMoroccoinitsFebruary2014report The international association Reporters without Bor- Freedom inCheck na, RussiaortheGulfoilmonarchies. strengthen itstieswithothercountriessuchasChi- nia aredrivingtheKingdomofMoroccotoseek (France) aswellthelongcoldspellwithMaurita- to theeastandEuropeancountryclosestit Conflicting relations with its neighbour immediately or the Gulfoilmonarchies countries suchasChina,Russia strengthen itstieswithother Kingdom ofMoroccotoseek spell withMauritaniaaredrivingthe it (France)aswellthelongcold and theEuropeancountryclosestto neighbour immediatelytotheeast Conflicting relationswithits successes thatareattimesshort-lived. sometimes fallsintorashnessandgetsexcitedabout seems nottohaveacoherentsenseofcontinuity;it Despite itsAfricanvitality, Moroccandiplomacy competition ofthetwoneighboursinsubregion. cident isthusperceivedaspartofthediplomatic of MalianstakeholderspromotedbyAlgiers.Thisin- dragging its feet in joining the reconciliation process retaliation by AlgeriaagainstRabat, for theMNLAis people. Moroccoconsideredtheincidentanactof border betweenthetwocountries, injuring several making Moroccoreturntothepre-2011situation. deniable regressionofpublicfreedomsthatare the ‘democratisationprocess’ hasfacilitatedtheun- which reliesonthecumulative,progressivenatureof malisation ofitsrelationswithit.Thistimidposition, necessary to gain the monarchy’s trust and the nor- form. Itpreferstomaketheconcessionsitconsiders PJD claimsthatitsstrategyisoneoflong-termre- very unequally distributed. On the political level, the mance in2014butthewealthproducedremains nomic machinecontinuedtoimproveitsperfor- In conclusion,wecansaythattheMoroccaneco- Arab Springprotestsin2011. Benkirane cameintoofficefollowingtheMoroccan current administrationledbytheIslamistAbdelilah a repressivecampaignwithoutprecedents since the The Minister’sstatementseemedtoofficiallykickoff tember inRabat. night, ashappenedtoHichamMansourion24Sep- made onpacificprotestersorisolatedactivistsat bodies. Bythesametoken,assaultsaresometimes tion forregistrationorrenewaloftheirexecutive Rights Association(ADN)arenotreceivingcertifica- gative Journalists(AMJI) and theMoroccan Digital tions suchastheMoroccanAssociationofInvesti- ties werebannedeverymonthandmanyorganisa- statements. Indeed,numerousmeetingsandactivi- Minister’s attacks,whichwerenotlimitedsolelyto and other civil society agents reacted strongly to the Moroccan AssociationofHumanRights(AMDH) terrorism. Humanrightsorganisationssuchasthe obstacle totheauthorities’ effectivestruggleagainst likewise statedthattheseorganisationsrepresentan moving in the direction of a backlash. The Minister abroad inordertoserveanti-Moroccanagendas,are organisations, whichheallegedreceivefundingfrom ’sstatementsagainstcivilsociety tion inMay2014followedbyMinisteroftheInterior the year.ThebanningofFreedomNowassocia- in general would becorroboratedover the courseof

IEMed. Mediterranean Yearbook 2015 179 Geographical Overview | Maghreb Panorama