Demagoguery as a political weapon
- Get married first and everything else will follow
- Demagogue is not necessarily populist
- The Satan Party
- Between demagoguery and reality
- Abusive simplification and reinforced stereotypes
- Controversial and manipulative style
The secretary general of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), Abdelilah Benkirane, in his speech during a party meeting held on July 7 in Agadir, sought to highlight this requirement when he claimed to be able to clearly discern the real problems facing the Moroccan people, distinguishing them clearly from the false problems provoked and imposed by others. Let's listen to him:
Get married first and everything else will follow
"Instead of focusing on our real problems, on our daughters who remain unmarried, instead of looking for ways to solve the problem of prolonged singlehood, of encouraging young people to marry and facilitating their access to housing, they turn to married couples to sow discord ‘regatta’ among them. That is what they do instead of taking an interest in our unmarried daughters. They do not ask themselves: how long will our daughters remain unmarried? When they grow old, who will be there for them? Who will accompany them to the hospital, and who will bury them after they die? For God's sake, there was a university-educated woman who died alone in her home, with no husband, no daughter, no son, no one. Instead of dealing with our real problems, they talk about how to recognize and value domestic work “al-kad wa-siay'a.” Effort and household chores are one thing, but meddling in the relationship between husband and wife to destroy it is the work of Satan. Those people are Satan's party, no more and no less. Furthermore, if you listen to my advice, you parents, I will tell you: encourage your daughters to marry when a suitor, even if he is only slightly acceptable, comes along. Put your trust in God and give your consent; do not give him the chance to escape. And you, daughters, stop repeating, “First I must study, then work.” All that can be done after marriage, but if marriage slips away from you, neither studies nor anything else will help you, and you will be left alone like a stork. Do you understand me or not?"
Thus, to loud applause, the speaker draws a clear distinction between what he considers false problems, such as remuneration for domestic work performed by housewives, and what he sees as the real issues, in particular the problem of young Moroccan women missing the boat on marriage. The way in which this distinction is made, the conclusions drawn, the solutions formulated and the arguments developed are perfectly in line with demagogic rhetoric. The term “demagoguery” is used here as an analytical concept without any value judgment, and will serve precisely to describe a mode of manipulation of the masses through exaggerated or misleading promises (get married first and everything else will follow). Its Greek etymology (“demos” for people and ‘agogos’ for to lead) literally means “to lead the people” or “to educate the people.” In its original sense, demagoguery could even be seen as a form of political leadership that uses persuasion techniques based on exaggeration, oversimplification, emotional manipulation, and even misinformation, in order to gain popular support without necessarily taking into account reality or the common good.
Demagogue is not necessarily populist
Several analysts and commentators tend to describe Abdelilah Benkirane's discourse as populist, thus creating significant confusion between two notions that are often poorly distinguished: demagoguery and populism. Demagoguery refers primarily to a discursive strategy characterized by techniques such as simplification, emotional manipulation, and flattery, which seek to seduce and mobilize an audience by simplifying complex realities to the extreme. Populism, on the other hand, refers to a specific political stance based on a clear opposition between an idealized “people” and an elite perceived as corrupt or out of touch. The populist is therefore someone who seeks to mobilize the people against the elite, and even against the state itself. Thus, while demagoguery acts within the system itself, seeking to exploit its mechanisms to consolidate its influence, populism often positions itself as an antagonistic force, questioning and opposing the established system. This distinction is essential for analyzing political discourse rigorously and avoiding simplifications and confusion.
Several examples taken from Abdelilah Benkirane's political discourse confirm that, far from being a populist politician in the strict sense, he is above all a talented speaker, capable of seducing a crowd with a few skillfully crafted demagogic phrases. His style, marked by direct communication and simple, forceful language, frequently uses narrative and rhetorical techniques that flatter popular sentiment and manipulate emotions to capture attention and win support. As several analyses indicate, his many public statements reveal a skillful use of discursive devices designed to mobilize without adopting a political stance that is clearly opposed to the institutions. This mastery of demagogic discourse in its communicative dimension does not necessarily make him a committed populist, but rather testifies to his skills as a speaker capable of combining calculated simplism with a rebellious tone to consolidate his influence without fundamentally questioning the political system.
There is no need to revisit the multitude of discursive examples that punctuate his political career; one need only look at his latest media appearance to confirm the demagogic tone that permeates his discourse. More precisely, his controversial statements on the metaphor of “the loneliness of the stork,” in which he compared single women to this bird, were widely reported and harshly criticized in Moroccan public opinion. These words provoked outrage and rejection, even within political circles and women's rights associations, revealing a rhetorical register that plays more on simplistic provocation and stereotypes than on a rigorous and responsible analysis of social realities. This recent controversy perfectly illustrates the demagogic tone of Benkirane's discourse, made up of shocking phrases and figurative expressions that seek above all to capture attention without necessarily encouraging deep reflection.
Benkirane's statements on the problems of marriage and celibacy in Morocco are therefore based on a highly demagogic discursive strategy that mobilizes three classic rhetorical techniques characteristic of this mode of political communication. First, simplification, which consists of reducing complex socio-demographic phenomena such as prolonged celibacy and the age of marriage in Morocco to very unambiguous causes and consequences, hiding all nuances and the multiple economic, cultural, and social factors at play. Second, manipulation, which consists of skillfully exploiting the emotions and fears of the audience, insisting on the fear of supposed discord caused by the remuneration of domestic work, the fear of the devil's party, the fear of young women losing the opportunity to marry and ending their lives isolated and alone like the stork. Third, the discrediting of the adversary, and here Benkirane does not hesitate to demonize those he accuses of “causing discord in the hearts of married couples,” directly labeling them as members of the “party of Satan,” which seeks not only to discredit and marginalize his political opponents, but rather to judge them for apostasy. By combining these procedures, the discourse seeks not so much to enlighten the public as to elicit strong emotional reactions, reinforce political control, and evade any form of nuanced debate, thus illustrating the typical mechanisms of demagogic rhetoric.
The Satan Party
It is clear that we are facing a discursive strategy based on strong dramatization, playing on the deeply rooted fears of young women of “losing the opportunity to marry,” of living alone, and even of ending their lives alone without family support. Furthermore, Benkirane adopts an aggressive stance by resorting to demonizing his political opponents, literally calling them “Satan's party,” thus highlighting the simplistic and reductionist nature of his discourse strategy, where he opposes the defense of the “real problems” of the Moroccan people to a supposed desire to harm them on the part of his opponents.
When Benkirane demonizes his political opponents, whom he accuses of neglecting “the real problems” in order to “sow discord” among married couples, he insists on constructing a personification of evil, as he himself perceives it: the “party of Satan,” thus contributing to imposing a Manichean reading of the political debate in which his opponents are presented not only as ineffective, but as morally reprehensible and even malevolent. This radical stigmatization functions in Benkirane's discourse as a fundamental lever to mobilize emotion and reinforce his base, playing on fears of a subversion of the religious order, constructed according to his own ideological vision.
The truth in politics is both a fundamental ethical requirement and an essential tool of legitimacy for leaders. However, former head of government Abdelilah Benkirane seems to see no need to back up his words with reliable figures or statistical data, which would nevertheless reflect the reality of socio-family phenomena. Nevertheless, a simple consultation of these data would suffice to demonstrate that his rhetoric, marked by deliberate exaggeration and dramatization, has far exceeded acceptable limits. This discrepancy between factual truth and political discourse compromises not only the credibility of the political leader, but also reveals a discursive strategy that seeks to manipulate emotions rather than inform objectively and communicate honestly.
Between demagoguery and reality
According to figures from the latest census by the High Commissioner for the Plan (HCP) and recent demographic surveys, the average age at first marriage for women has decreased from 25.7 years in 2014 to around 24.6 years in 2024. Historically, from 1960 to 2010, the average age at first marriage increased from 17.5 years to 26.6 years for women and from 24.4 years to 31.4 years for men, but the most recent data indicate a slight decrease in the average age for women since 2014.
In Mediterranean countries, the average age at first marriage varies widely, but tends to be higher than in Morocco. Women marry on average between the ages of 28 and 32, and men tend to marry slightly later. In Algeria and Tunisia, the average age at first marriage for women is around 30. France is more advanced in the trend toward delaying marriage, with an average age of approximately 37-38 years for women and 39.8 years for men, while in Spain, one of the European countries where people marry later, the average age is 34.7 years for women and 36.8 years for men.
Thus, the average age of marriage for Moroccan women is lower than in most European Mediterranean countries, but higher than a few decades ago, with a notable difference compared to France and some southern European countries. Moroccan men marry in the same age range as in the region (early thirties).
These data contradict the statements made by the secretary general of the PJD, who, in his recent speech in Agadir, warned of the tendency among young Moroccan women to delay marriage or give up on it altogether, advising them accordingly to accept the first man who asks for their hand and to prioritize marriage over continuing their studies.
A political leader must, in fact, base his statements on reliable data that is representative of social realities, rather than on anecdotes or individual cases. However, the concern expressed by Abdelilah Benkirane about the “delayed or lost marriage” of young women who prefer to continue their studies is certainly a minority phenomenon, often in their immediate environment, but does not reflect a general trend or a dominant social phenomenon in Morocco. Official figures from the HCP and other studies show that the situation is not as alarming as Benkirane would have us believe, and that although the average age of marriage tends to vary, most young Moroccan women marry within timeframes that are in line with current social norms, with increasing influence from schooling.
It is essential that political discourse feeds public debate with rigorous analysis based on solid quantitative and qualitative data in order to inform public policy and prevent the spread of misconceptions that can generate stereotypes or fuel unfounded fears. This also allows for a better understanding of the real challenges facing society, such as gender equality, access to education, and work-life balance. It is always beneficial to engage in an informed and respectful public debate about social reality, based on recognized figures and studies, because it is through an honest and transparent confrontation of ideas that society can move forward and government officials can effectively guide public policy. However, discourse that does not respect either social reality or the intelligence of citizens can only be detrimental to the proper functioning of democracy.
Abusive simplification and reinforced stereotypes
From a scientific point of view, interpreting the phenomenon of permanent celibacy among women solely as a marital failure due to the continuation of studies, as Benkirane suggests, is unfounded and would be an abusive simplification. A high rate of permanent celibacy cannot be explained scientifically by the continuation of studies alone. It results from a complex set of social and economic changes that influence marital decisions. A rigorous political discourse must be based on these multidimensional data rather than on impressions or individual cases.
When Benkirane's discourse, without concern for reliable and nuanced data, simplifies complex social phenomena by reducing female celibacy to a direct consequence of continuing university studies, it ignores the multiplicity of economic, cultural, and personal factors that influence marriage decisions. By advising women to “give themselves to the first suitor,” he minimizes the importance of education and individual aspirations, while emphasizing social pressure toward hasty marriage, without considering the benefits that access to university and autonomy can bring.
Simplism, or the tendency to reduce complex phenomena to easy, unnuanced explanations, is a key feature of demagogic discourse that seeks to be simple so that it can be easily and quickly understood by a wide audience. By making the message accessible without intellectual effort, it facilitates the spontaneous adherence of listeners, without them having to reflect deeply. It exploits cognitive laziness by proposing answers that seem obvious, avoiding complexity, contradictions, and the nuance necessary for rigorous analysis. The complexity of reality is eliminated in favor of images, slogans, or scapegoats that are easy to grasp and mobilize. In this way, demagogic discourse tends to omit details, contradictory facts, and reliable sources. It presents a partial and distorted truth, often marked by clichés or fixed ideas, which feeds stereotypes and reinforces the simplistic message. Therefore, simplism in Benkirane's discourse is a strategic tool for capturing and maintaining attention, creating a group identity and, above all, ensuring popularity or influence, often to the detriment of an honest and nuanced understanding of social challenges.
This discourse clearly illustrates a demagogic stance in several characteristic ways. First, it simplifies complex social problems to the extreme, especially the prolonged celibacy of young women, reducing it essentially to a moral and family problem to be solved through opportunistic marriage and social conformity. The diversity of causes of celibacy—whether economic, cultural, personal, or related to changing mentalities—is obscured in favor of a one-dimensional view that presents hasty marriage as the only and exclusive solution.
Furthermore, the appeal to emotions is evident throughout the discourse. The fear of marital discord, the fear of young single women of being abandoned to loneliness and social isolation, and even of dying without support, are all used to stir up concern and steer opinion towards a single response: marriage. The use of the striking image of a university student who died alone intensifies the emotional impact while reinforcing the idea of a moral urgency to act.
Finally, the recommendation addressed to parents and young women implies strong social pressure based on the control of individual behavior in the name of a rigid collective norm. The reduction of personal and social priorities to marriage alone—to the detriment of education or work—illustrates a political will to impose a totalitarian conservative model with little room for autonomy or diversity of life choices. Through his demagogic skills, the speaker constructs a discourse that is both controversial and reductionist, seeking to provoke and simplify rather than encourage nuanced reflection.
Controversial and manipulative style
The excessive simplification of complex phenomena—whether the Palestinian cause, national identity, individual freedoms, or women's emancipation—is a fundamental technique that Benkirane systematically employs in his demagogic discourse. He believes that this technique allows him to speak to the Moroccan people in easily understandable terms, to manipulate emotions rather than reason, to encourage quick adherence rather than critical reflection, and to strengthen his influence simply by skillfully stirring up fears and flattering the expectations of his audience. Thus, like any other Islamist leader, he believes that a public spellbound by demagoguery is no longer capable of hearing any message other than that of its leader.
These rhetorical devices that permeate Benkirane's discourse clearly reveal his ideological vision and political priorities, but also his controversial and manipulative style, which perfectly demonstrates that demagoguery, by its very nature, is in direct opposition to truth, intellectual rigor, and the common good. It certainly allows certain political objectives to be achieved, but always at the expense of the quality of public debate and political stability.
As several critical voices have suggested, Benkirane's language should respect the Moroccan people in all their diversity and avoid gratuitous attacks, so as not to weaken social cohesion or fuel confusion between legitimate political criticism and demagogic invective. He would be well advised to acknowledge in his discourse the diversity and complexity of social realities rather than resorting to simplistic, even hurtful, formulas that tend to divide rather than unite. By prioritizing a less controversial tone and non-insulting expressions, he could regain political credibility and contribute to a more constructive public debate, in keeping with the status of a former head of government.