Morocco's King Mohammed VI reshuffles government amid growing social, political unrest

The Moroccan palace has reshuffled its government three years after its formation amid rising tensions and discontent vis-à-vis the coalition of three centrist parties.

On 23 October, King Mohammed VI appointed six new ministers to Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch's cabinet, following months of speculation and discussion.

Among the most notable changes is the departure of Abdelatif Midaoui, the Minister of Higher Education, whose reforms have sparked a two-year strike in medical universities. Students have been protesting the declining quality of training and the push towards privatisation.

Midaoui has been replaced by Azzedine El Midaoui, a respected professor and researcher with no prior political experience.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Saad Berrada, a businessman close to PM and tycoon Akhannouch, took over as Minister of National Education and Sports, succeeding Chakib Benmoussa, who has been appointed to lead the High Commission for Planning (HCP)—a pivotal governmental body responsible for shaping national development policies.

Khalid Ait Taleb, the Health Minister, who played a critical role during the pandemic and in the medical universities stalemate, has been replaced by Amine Tahraoui, a former employee in PM Akhannouch's company of Akwa Group.

Meanwhile, Ghita Mezzour, who spearheaded the "Morocco Digital 2030" initiative, has stepped down in favour of Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni, the newly minted Minister Delegate for Digital Transition and Administrative Reform. Seghrouchni is the Executive President of the International Center of Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the University of Mohammed VI (UM6P).

Although Prime Minister Akhannouch has not publicly explained the motivations behind this long-anticipated reshuffle, experts suggest it reflects the palace's desire to respond to the ever-evolving local and international economic and political landscape.

"It reflects King Mohammed VI's ability to steer the ship of the state", wrote political analyst Hicham Mouatadid.

Despite this shake-up, key figures in "sovereign ministries"—interior, foreign affairs, and religion—have retained their positions.

In Morocco, sovereign ministries (ministères souverains) are critical governmental departments operating under the direct authority of the King. Other ministries are proposed by the head of government and submitted to the monarch for approval.

Facing Israel's war on Gaza, inflation and protests

Since last October, the current government has faced growing scrutiny for its "silence" regarding Israel's war on Gaza. Local pro-Palestine groups have protested weekly since last October, urging Rabat to revoke its normalisation agreement with Tel Aviv following the Israeli army killing more than 42,000 people in Gaza and driving the strip into famine.

Local activists claim they have been denied the opportunity to submit a petition to revoke normalisation to Parliament and to debate officials on national television regarding the Abraham Accords. The government attributed the denial of the former to "bureaucratic mistakes" but did not address the latter.

Since 7 October 2023, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita has refrained from publicly addressing the status of Rabat's relations with Israel.

Nevertheless, Bourita, who has been instrumental in negotiating recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara territory, has retained his position in this week's reshuffle.

Morocco normalised relations with Israel in 2020 under Saad Eddin El-Othmani's (El-Otmani) cabinet, an action that led to the downfall of his party in the subsequent legislative elections and his removal from the leadership of the Justice and Development Party (PJD)—a staunch opponent of normalisation in Morocco today.

Beyond international affairs, Akhannouch's cabinet grapples with soaring inflation, with youth unemployment peaking at 13.7% and escalating protests in the health and education sectors over low wages and poor working conditions.

Akhannouch's National Rally of Independence (RNI) emerged victorious in the 2021 legislative elections, unseating the Islamist PJD after a decade in power that followed the February 2011 uprising. RNI formed a coalition with the two runner-up parties: the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) and the nationalist Istiqlal Party.

Morocco is set to hold its next legislative elections in 2026, with speculation that the controversial Islamist group Al-Adl Wal Ihssan will enter the race for the first time, buoyed by its growing popularity for organising pro-Palestine rallies and leading the anti-normalisation movement since last year.