Speech from the Throne: Vigilance and Resilience

To meet the challenges facing Morocco, it is important to show initiative and resilience. This is the appeal launched by HM the King on the occasion of the celebration of the Throne Day. In the speech addressed to the Nation, the Sovereign emphasized the “turbulent context linked to the Covid-19 crisis and the transformations of the international environment”, the repercussions of which are hitting the national economy hard. After the difficulties of the pandemic crisis, “the combined efforts of the State and of the public and private sectors, our national economy has proven to be resilient in the face of crises and fluctuations. Thus, positive results have been achieved in all productive sectors”, recalled the Sovereign. Except that “the upturn has been short-lived due to the current global circumstances”. The weakness of the agricultural campaign further accentuated these problems, as well as exogenous factors that have led to a surge in the prices of certain basic commodities. For the Sovereign, it is “a problem from which no country has been exempt”. HM the King stressed the importance of the measures already rolled out, including the national program to mitigate the impact of drought on farmers and the rural population, in addition to the allocation of credits to subsidize certain basic commodities and for supplying markets. The budget of the Compensation Fund (fund responsible for the provision of subsidies relating to basic foodstuffs) was doubled during this year, to exceed 32 billion MAD. Nevertheless, the consolidation of national solidarity mechanisms is just as important, said the Sovereign, who stressed the importance of strengthening the determined and responsible fight against speculation and price manipulation. In addition to the major projects launched during the period of the pandemic, when the Government had borne the exorbitant cost of the fight against this scourge, in addition to guaranteeing the regular supply of markets and covering the costs of vaccination of the populations, Morocco will have to continue the deployment of social solidarity mechanisms. This is the framework in which the project to generalize social protection and upgrade the health system fits. To date, the number of self-employed workers and their dependents benefiting from AMO (Compulsory Health Insurance) has crossed the 6 million milestone. The gradual generalization of family allowances is scheduled for the end of 2023. This generalization will benefit nearly 7 million children. Today, the watchword is optimism. The King insisted on the importance of “focusing on our strengths”. The goal is to “make the most of the opportunities and prospects opened up by these changes to attract more investment, stimulate exports, and promote national products…”. The Government’s actions, as is the case for the political and economic spheres, will be scrutinized concerning these issues. This concerns in the first place the alleviation of the difficulties faced by investors. HM the King could not have been clearer: “the greatest peril for the country’s development  and for the promotion of investment are obstacles intentionally created by those who see personal gains. These practices must be combated”.

Accelerating the emancipation of women

THE Constitution of 2011 has put in place a set of mechanisms to promote the emancipation of women. More than a decade later, several of those mechanisms are still on stand-by. This is particularly the case of the Authority for Gender Parity and the Fight against Discrimination against Women (APALD), whose law had sparked a veritable showdown between the former Minister for Women and the ONGs. Today, the Sovereign called for the need to make “operational the constitutional institutions concerned with the rights of the family and of women” and asked “that the mechanisms and legislation dedicated to the promotion of these rights, and that the relevant mechanisms and regulations for the promotion of the status of women and the family be updated”. The Sovereign called for a new reform of the family code which, from now on, “is no longer sufficient as such”, in particular because of the “many hurdles which stand in the way of completing this process and achieving its goals”. The Sovereign called for “going beyond the shortcomings” and “overhauling certain provisions which have been diverted from their primary destination”. This reform momentum must be carried out “in perfect harmony with the ultimate stipulations of Sharia and the specificities of Moroccan society”.

Reaching out to Algeria

Faced with Algeria’s provocations, Morocco responds with wise words. The Speech from the Throne was an opportunity to renew the appeal to Morocco’s Eastern neighbor to overcome conflicts in order to promote co-development of the peoples of the region. “The borders that separate the Moroccan people and the brotherly Algerian people will never be barriers preventing their interaction and understanding”. At a time when the Algerian leaders continue to be warmongers, the Sovereign is once again reaching out. “We assure the Moroccan people of our firm will to find a way out of the current situation and to promote rapprochement, communication, and understanding between the two peoples”, said HM the King. The Algerian presidency is called upon to show realism and good faith, to “work, hand in hand, and to establish normal relations between two brotherly peoples, united by history, ties, and a community of destiny”.  This is all the more important in an international context marked by geopolitical reconfigurations, the repercussions of which are beginning to be felt in the region, particularly in the Sahel region, in Libya, and  in other places…

M.A.M.