Mohammed VI: more than 25 years of reign, the profile of a bold and empathetic sovereign
- More than two decades of reign...
- The feminist king...
- The conciliatory king...
- The king of the poor...
- King Midas...
A few months ago, during an informal meeting with Spanish politicians, one of them dared to use the verb 'dare' because few political figures have the courage to ask objective questions about a country, a people and a monarchy about which they know very little... He asked me the following question: 'Apart from the king, which political figure has had the greatest impact on the country's history in recent years? My answer was categorical: without a doubt, King Mohammed VI, far ahead of the country's intellectuals and political leaders.
His Majesty King Mohammed VI is the most prominent public figure in the Kingdom of Morocco. For more than two decades, he has been the most respected, praised and admired personality by the majority of citizens in a country undergoing profound transformation.
A cultured, restless, sensitive and kind-hearted sovereign, not given to media spectacle, which has earned him the incomprehension and sometimes the defamation of some representatives of the international press. He is a hard-working monarch who knows how to delegate and firmly believes in constitutional monarchy, with the proviso that the monarchy in Morocco is not limited to the head of state but transcends this framework, being the de facto spiritual and religious leader of an entire civilisation that is more than 12 centuries old.
I therefore propose in this article to outline the more than 25 years of Mohammed VI's reign, with the caveat that I will certainly not be able to cover all the achievements of these two decades, and I mention achievements here without ignoring that there have undoubtedly been mistakes and shadows, but knowing that if you ask any ordinary citizen about the balance of these years of Mohammed VI's reign, all Moroccans are unanimous in their response: the balance is positive, there is still much to be done, but the Morocco of today is infinitely better than the Morocco of more than 26 years ago.
More than two decades of reign...
This 30th of July marked the 26th anniversary of the accession to the throne of the Kingdom of Morocco of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the silver jubilee plus one of a constitutional monarchy that we could call atypical, far removed from the customs and traditions of both European monarchies and other royal houses in the Far East, a monarchy very much its own, in a nation where the current Alaouite dynasty has reigned uninterrupted since at least 1666, more than four centuries! In these 26 years, Mohammed VI has managed to impose his own style of government, more modern, closer to the people and focused on the social and economic development of the country, marking a great distance from the absolutist model of his late father, King Hassan II, a charismatic monarch who had to deal with a very turbulent period in the history of post-independence Morocco under the dual French and Spanish protectorate.
Hassan II used to say, in one of his famous quotes, 'le style, c'est l'homme' (style is the person...) and for almost 40 years he knew how to impose his authoritarian style because the situation required it. He inherited from his father a country coveted by the powers of the protectorate, which continued to exert great pressure on the kingdom in the context of the global Cold War, in which the Kingdom of Morocco, despite remaining on the side of the non-aligned, was unable to avoid the externalities of the communist wave of the 1960s and 1970s, which presented itself as the standard-bearer of oppressed peoples and which in Morocco took the form of virulent political opposition to the monarchical regime by opponents who also believed in armed struggle, as they had the support of the pro-Soviet regimes in the Maghreb, Gaddafi's Libya and Houari Boumedienne's Algeria, and which resulted in violent confrontation between the regime and the opposition, the famous years of lead, a dark period in our history which, as we shall see later, was amended by the current monarch.
Mohammed VI, from the day he ascended to the throne, had to deal with this heavy legacy, as well as facing new challenges such as the consolidation of the democratic rule of law, a task that Hassan II had begun in the last years of his reign with the reform of the Constitution in 1996 and the organisation of the country's first transparent elections in 1997, together with the installation in 1998 of a new government led by a former opponent of the regime, Abderrahman El Youssoufi, who had been exiled in France for fifteen years. This Moroccan transition represented a major step forward in the democratisation of the country.
Far from ignoring or seeking to amend this process, Mohammed VI aspired to accelerate it and achieve major advances in order to position the country as the most advanced democratic regime on its continent (Africa) and in its cultural sphere (the Arab world), and he has succeeded.
This desire for change, led by the sovereign himself, enjoyed broad social support from the Moroccan people. Mohammed VI embodied both the desire for change in everything related to the economic and social model and continuity in the transcendental aspects of defending the territorial, religious and cultural sovereignty of one of the oldest kingdoms on the planet.
The legitimacy of the monarchy in Morocco is beyond doubt, and even the most virulent opponents avoided, and continue to avoid, questioning the historical and social legitimacy of the king, aware of the deep roots of the monarchy in the country, which is considered by the vast majority of citizens as a symbol of sovereignty and unity for the entire nation.
In his first speech on the first anniversary of his enthronement, on 30 July 2000, the king expressed this centuries-old symbiosis between the people and the monarchy in words:
'Aware that, thanks to Islam and the monarchy, the throne has been able to bring together the various civilisational, cultural and geographical components of the nation in a single melting pot, making them the foundation of its unity. This symbiosis between you (the people) and the Throne has made Morocco an impregnable bastion and given it the strength and invulnerability that have enabled it to face the greatest trials and the most serious crises, overcome the most difficult obstacles, navigate the most delicate turns in its history and rise to the great challenges. Morocco has always emerged more determined than ever, more confident in its abilities, more united and always true to itself.'
With his legitimacy stronger than ever, Mohammed VI began a quarter-century reign that has propelled Morocco to become a regional power both politically and economically, a stable and prosperous country that continues to advance by leaps and bounds compared to its neighbours.
The feminist king...
‘How can we hope to ensure the progress and prosperity of a society when its women, who make up half of it, see their rights trampled upon and suffer injustice, violence and marginalisation, in defiance of the right to dignity and equality conferred on them by our holy religion?’
Excerpt from the speech by HM King Mohammed VI, 30 July 2000.
The reform of the Family Code, the famous Moudawana, which took place four years after his enthronement, represents one of the most significant milestones of his 26-year reign, a true revolution in terms of consolidating equality between women and men in Morocco, which has improved women's rights in such important areas as raising the minimum age for marriage, the right to divorce and improving child custody and care conditions.
This reform would have been unimaginable years ago due to resistance from traditionalist sectors that considered this document to have almost divine legitimacy. Mohammed VI was able to channel this resistance and achieve a broad consensus between progressive forces and conservative movements.
Moving towards an egalitarian society is one of the priorities of Mohammed VI's reign and, therefore, in 2022, the King of Morocco has once again promoted a new reform of the Family Code and made it clear that there is still a long way to go towards the full emancipation of Moroccan women. He is a non-conformist ruler in everything related to the modernisation of his country and the expansion of social rights, and the true architect of the great changes in the country.
‘Initially, the Family Code represented a real leap forward, but it is no longer sufficient on its own. Experience has revealed a number of obstacles that prevent the reform process from being completed and the desired objectives from being achieved.’
Excerpt from the speech by HM King Mohammed VI, Throne Day, 30 July 2022.
The conciliatory king...
Far from wishing to draw a veil over the difficult years of political confrontation between the opposition and his august father, King Hassan II, during which serious human rights violations were committed, the new sovereign faced this painful legacy with courage and total transparency, promoting a process of national reconciliation that remains an example of transitional justice worldwide.
At the dawn of the new reign, and given the conciliatory and dialogue-oriented profile of the new king, several dissidents who had gone into self-imposed exile in European and Middle Eastern countries decided to return to the country, signalling the beginning of a new political era in the kingdom. And so it was that, within a few weeks of embarking on the colossal task of continuing the path begun by his ancestors more than four centuries ago, the new king promoted the creation of an independent arbitration commission for compensation, whose main mission was to collect complaints from victims of human rights violations and grant them financial compensation. Within a few months of beginning its activities, this compensation body had processed 3,700 complaints and awarded more than 100 million euros in compensation to the victims of the years of lead.
Neither the new king nor the democratic forces of the kingdom were satisfied with limiting this incipient process of reconciliation with our past to a mere compensation campaign. Instead, they believed it was necessary to move towards full recognition and visibility for all victims, and the new king did not hesitate for a moment to go further and ensure that the whole truth about those dark years was known. Thus, after a long process of consultation with representatives of both the victims and the different political forces in the country, the Equity and Reconciliation Commission was created in 2004 with the clear mission of investigating and bringing to light all abusive practices, such as arbitrary detention, torture and enforced disappearances committed by state agents and agencies. Mohammed VI wanted this independent body to be chaired by an important figure of Moroccan dissent, Driss Benzekri, who spent 17 years of his life in prison for being part of a banned Marxist-Leninist revolutionary organisation.
The establishment of the body and all the work it undertook during its brief existence represent an important turning point in the consolidation of the democratic state in Morocco, a process that made it possible to establish the truth, bring justice to the victims and, above all, turn the page on human rights violations and ensure that they are not repeated, with a view to promoting reconciliation and accelerating the transition to the rule of law.
‘In this regard, in addition to the duty to preserve this period in the collective memory of the nation, as it is an integral part of its history, it is incumbent upon each and every one of us to learn the lessons, in order to provide ourselves with the necessary guarantees to prevent certain mistakes of the past from being repeated and to make up for certain shortcomings of the past.’
Excerpt from the speech by HM King Mohammed VI, Rabat, 1 January 2006 (announcement of the end of the mandate of the Equity and Reconciliation Commission).
The king of the poor...
Long before acceding to the throne, the then Crown Prince HRH Sidi Mohamed was noted for his charitable work. He did not hesitate to approach people and take an interest in their living conditions whenever he could get away from the palace spotlight and, above all, when he managed to evade the close surveillance of the omnipresent Minister of the Interior at the time, the ill-fated Driss Basri. Once enthroned, the new monarch earned the nickname 'king of the poor', a king even closer to the most disadvantaged classes. The king's escapades, driving his private car to the poorest neighbourhoods or the most remote villages, far from any royal protocol, became famous, allowing the young monarch to see the reality of his country first-hand.
This was by no means a pantomime or measured gestures aimed at the national and international media. Mohammed VI will surely go down in history as a king endowed with great social sensitivity, which was not only reflected in symbolic gestures, but also in tangible policies and measures that have made it possible, 26 years later, significantly reduce poverty, mainly in rural areas of the country, and improve the living conditions of the entire population.
These policies were initiated shortly after he took the reins of the country and have resulted in the launch of several projects that have had a major impact on improving the living conditions of all citizens. One of the first initiatives implemented was the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), a pioneering initiative in that it is a participatory community development programme: pioneering in the sense that it is the residents of the target urban and rural communities who express their needs in terms of social services, support for income-generating activities, or training and skills development for self-employment.
Twenty years after the launch of this participatory initiative, the results are very significant: more than 88,000 households have been connected to the drinking water network and 20,000 households to the electricity grid, in areas that are sometimes difficult to access or in marginalised neighbourhoods. In addition, at the request of the citizens themselves, almost 1,700 km of tracks and roads have been built to open up rural areas, and support has been provided to sustain more than 2,000 social centres that are crucial to ensuring that vulnerable groups receive adequate care.
The philosophy behind the National Initiative for Human Development promoted by the monarch goes beyond being a mere social support programme and seeks to empower the country's most disadvantaged classes by offering them opportunities to start businesses. Proof of this is that this royal initiative has enabled the creation of more than 11,500 companies and has supported more than 4,700 cooperative projects, thus putting into practice the principles of the social and solidarity economy.
These are many achievements that consolidate the welfare state in the Kingdom of Morocco, developing more social rights and guaranteeing equitable access to them. The king continues his crusade against poverty and marginalisation, mainly in the most remote rural areas of this vast country.
King Midas...
Mohammed VI is a King Midas in the age of disruption, a disruptive and visionary monarch who has managed to position Morocco on the world stage, including economically. Under his reign, projects with a major economic and social impact have been promoted, such as the Tangier Med Port. In less than 20 years, the port has managed to position itself as the leading container port on both the African continent and in the Mediterranean, the High Speed Train (TGV), the first on the continent, and the two mega car manufacturing ecosystems (Renault in Tangier and Stellantis in Kenitra) have positioned the Kingdom of Morocco as a leader in the automotive industry on the African continent and one of the global benchmarks in this industry.
All, I repeat, all of these projects bear the personal stamp of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. One of the anecdotes illustrating the Alawite monarch's ability to anticipate the future was the selection of the final location for the future Tangier Med port. Initially, the technical managers of the project had opted to locate the port on the Atlantic coast, some 20 km south of the city of Tangier. However, a few months before the start of construction, the king changed his mind and chose a site with a highly complex terrain and maritime conditions in the centre of the Strait of Gibraltar. This change, as has been the case throughout his reign, was providential, as much of the success of this super logistics infrastructure is due to its location. Once again, the monarch made the right decision.
Under royal impetus, Morocco is advancing in cutting-edge sectors such as the aeronautical industry and renewable energies. In just a few years, Morocco has become a leading logistics and industrial hub, without neglecting traditional sectors such as agriculture, tourism and the chemical industry, mainly the production of phosphate derivatives and fertilisers. In the latter two areas, Morocco is one of the world leaders.
It would take several pages to cover the economic, investment and infrastructure advances made in Morocco under the reign of Mohammed VI over the last 26 years. The results are there to be seen, and there are more projects underway that will further strengthen the country's position as a logistics, financial and industrial hub with global reach.
Special mention should be made of the Dakhla Atlantic Port project, located in the southern Moroccan region of Dakhla Oued Eddahab, is another port infrastructure marvel with connotations that go beyond the economic, as it is a strategic project for all of West Africa and mainly for the Sahel countries, a key geographical area for ensuring peace and stability on the continent, which will have direct access to the Atlantic Ocean through this new port thanks to the Moroccan royal initiative. This is yet another success for the Alawite monarch, who is also the champion of a realistic, pragmatic and enlightened pan-Africanism. It is no coincidence that under his reign, Morocco has become one of the continent's leading investors and the country that leads development cooperation in Africa.
Whichever way you look at it, within today's monarchies, Mohammed VI is an atypical monarch, in the best sense of the word, a visionary king, magnanimous and deeply committed to both his people and the African continent, far removed from the false image projected of him in certain sections of the international press, which are either malicious or at least ignorant. I insist, we refer to the facts, and thanks to its sovereign, the Kingdom of Morocco has made great strides in all areas over the last 26 years.
Morocco has become a modern country, a geopolitical power both regionally and globally, Moroccans have seen their living conditions improve and have gained rights. It is true that much remains to be done, as the monarch himself attests. On 29 July, without going any further, the king, in his most important speech of the year, which coincided with the celebration of the 26th anniversary of his enthronement, stated categorically:
'Dear people, you know very well that, however high the level of economic development and infrastructure may be, I will not be satisfied if it does not contribute in a tangible way to improving the living conditions of citizens of all social classes and in all areas and regions. That is why we continue to attach special importance to promoting human development, extending social protection and providing direct support to families who deserve it'.
He went on to say:
‘Unfortunately, there are still certain areas, especially in rural areas, that suffer from poverty and precariousness due to a lack of infrastructure and basic services. This is not in line with our vision of Morocco today or with our efforts to improve social development and achieve spatial justice. In this sense, there is no place, either today or tomorrow, for a two-speed Morocco.’
Mohammed VI is a realistic and non-conformist head of state who does not shy away from his obligations, despite everything and regardless of who it may upset, particularly those who only know how to criticise without offering any solutions.
I sincerely hope that our Spanish neighbours and brothers, whether they are political leaders or ordinary citizens, will take this text as an invitation to learn about the reality of Morocco in its entirety and to take an interest in the historical, political and social evolution of a brother country that is only 14 km away. They will undoubtedly come to understand and appreciate the importance of the Moroccan monarchy represented by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, not only for the stability and prosperity of the Moroccan people, but also for all neighbouring countries.
Nourdine Mouati
Geopolitical Analyst, Institutional and Business Cooperation Project Manager, Spain-Morocco.