Morocco: A Reformist Monarchy?

Abstract

This article argues that Morocco avoided revolution in 2011 because King Mohammed VI had already begun the long-term process of liberalizing the Moroccan state. This process began in 2004, when the king encouraged a state-sponsored inquiry into past governmental abuses of human rights. Then, in 2010, Mohammed began the process of transferring governmental decision-making authority from the central government to provincial governments. Although the mass protests that occurred in Morocco during 2011 were successful in inducing the king to accelerate constitutional reforms that devolved some of his power to the parliament, the king still retained his authority to appoint his preferred candidates to key ministries and remained in control of the army. Thus, Mohammed VI has created a process that is liberalizing the Moroccan polity but encourages controlled and gradual political evolution that avoids revolution. Within this evolutionary process, the king is still a fundamental aspect of the political system, relying on his symbolic political capital and Morocco's weak political party system to bolster his strength and weaken his political opponents.

KEYWORDS:

• Arab spring
• constitutional reform
• February 20th Movement
• Hassan II
• Mohammed VI
• Morocco
• transition to democracy

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This article was translated from Arabic into English by Khalid Bekkaoui.

Notes

¹Scott Macleod, “The King of Cool,” Time, June 26, 2000, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,997285,00.html; Throne Speech, July 30, 2000, www.map.co.ma

²Ibid.

³Mohammed VI's Speech, August 20, 1999, www.map.co.ma

⁴Ibid.

⁵Macleod, “King of Cool.”

⁶These appointments were effected in Second Youssufi Government, September 6, 2000.

⁷Mohammed VI, “Throne Speech” of August 20, 1999.

⁸Mohammed Darif, “Hayaat al Insafwa al Musalahaattawsiyyat al hadiratwaattanfid al ghaib al Masaa [Equity and Reconciliation Commission: Present settlement and absent implementation],” Al Masaa, March 3, 2011.

⁹Mohammed VI's Speech, January 6, 2006, www.map.co.ma

¹⁰First communiqué of Liberty Now Movement, January 27, 2011, www.20fev.wordpress.com

¹¹Second communiqué of Liberty Now Movement, January 30, 2011, www.20fev.wordpress.com

¹²Communiqué of Groups of February 20th Youth Movement, February 15, 2011, www.20fev.wordpress.com

¹³Communiqué of Groups of February 20 Youth Movement, February 16, 2011, www.20fev.wordpress.com

¹⁴Communiqué of the Moroccan Human Rights Association, February 14, 2011.

¹⁵See Le Figaro, September 4, 2001; Mohammed VI's Speech, July 30, 2003, www.map.co.ma

¹⁶Mohammed Darif, “Ishkaliyat at-Tamthiliyya fi an-Nasaq as-Siyassi al Maghrebi [Problematic of representativity in the political structure of Moroccan politics],” Al Massa, May 26, 2010.

¹⁷Ibid.

¹⁸See Mohammed Darif, Ad-Din wa as-Siyassat fi al Maghrib [Religion and politics in Morocco] (Casablanca: Manshurat al Majallat al Maghribiyya li Ilm al Ijtimaa as-Siyassi, 2000).

¹⁹Mohammed VI's Speech, August 20, 2002, www.map.co.ma

²⁰Throne Speech, July 30, 2003, www.map.co.ma

²¹Mohammed Darif, “Bayna Makulat al Ahd al Jadidwa al Intiqal ad-Dimuqrati [Between the concept of the new era and democratic transition],” Al Masaa, July 7, 2010.

²²J. Aveille, “Le Maroc se Donne une Monarchie Constitutionnelle,” Confluent 27 (January l963): 6.

²³Jacques Lagroy, “La légitimation,” in Traite de Science Politique, eds. M. Grawitz and J. Leca, vol. 1 (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1985), 475.

²⁴Ibid., 435.

²⁵Mohammed Darif, ” Ishkaliyat Al Mashruiyya fi al Maghreb,” Al Majallat al Maghribiyya li Ilm al Ijtimaa as-Siyassi [Problematic of Legitimacy in Morocco] 1, 4 (1984): 46.

²⁶Ibid.

²⁷Ibid.

²⁸Mohammed Darif, “Fi amrad al Jism as-Siyassi al Maghribi [The ailments of the Moroccan political body],“Al Masaa, December 15, 2010.

²⁹Mohammed VI's Speech, November 6, 2008, www.map.co.ma

³⁰Mohammed VI's Speech, March 9, 2011, www.map.co.ma

³¹Mohammed VI's Speech, August 20, 2010, www.map.co.ma

³²Mohammed Darif, “Hawamishala Matni al Jihawiyya al Muwassaa,” Al Massa [Footnotes on extended regionalism], September 23, 2010.

³³Mohammed VI's Speech, July 30, 2003, www.map.co.ma

³⁴Mohammed Darif, “Fi ar-Ru'ya al Muattiralil Mashru' ad-Dimuqrati al Hadathi [On the vision informing democracy and modernity project],” Al Massa, June 23, 2010.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mohammed Darif

MOHAMMED DARIF is a professor in the Faculty of Law at Hassan II University, Mohammedia, Morocco. His most recent book is Monarchie Marocaine et Acteurs Religieux [The Moroccan Monarchy and Religious Actors] (Afrique Orient, 2010).