Will ‘Lip Service’ Reforms End Up Changing Morocco’s Politics?

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Other

Will ‘Lip Service’ Reforms End Up Changing Morocco’s Politics?

The net effect of recent reforms and development programs in Morocco has been minimal, and that is largely by design.

By Intissar Fakir

Published on Dec 15, 2016

Source: World Politics Review

For as long as many Moroccans can remember, they have been told that their country is moving toward reform. They have likewise heard about the government’s near-constant efforts to advance social and political development. But the net effect of these reforms and development programs, particularly in the political realm, has been minimal. That’s largely by design.

When King Mohammed VI ascended to the throne in 1999, he allowed greater freedoms of the press and enacted meaningful social reforms, such as the 2004 revision of the family code, which granted women greater rights and legal protections. He also oversaw efforts to address human rights violations committed during the rule of his father, Hassan II. Along with improving economic indicators, Morocco began to witness stronger respect for human rights and some social progress, including reduced poverty and infant mortality and improved literacy rates...

Read the full article at World Politics Review.

About the Author

Intissar Fakir

Former Fellow, Middle East Program, Editor in Chief, Sada

Intissar Fakir was a fellow and editor in chief of Sada in Carnegie’s Middle East Program.

Recent Work

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Islamic Institutions in Arab States: Mapping the Dynamics of Control, Co-option, and Contention
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A Conflict That Time Forgot
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Political Reform Economy North Africa Morocco

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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