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Rabat – Moroccan MP Mohammed Ouzzine chose English to discuss the position and history of Morocco’s bilateral relations, as well as Europe’s recent uneasiness and its ties with Africa, during the Renew Europe PAC annual meeting in Marrakech.
Ouzzine said that liberal cooperation between the continents has been weakened. “Maybe we need to roll up our sleeves to make this reinforcement happen,” he said.
“The main conclusion here is a prevailing discomfort and uneasiness in both continents,” the MP added.
He also warned that Europe “has never been so much in danger,” calling attention to certain initiatives that would reinforce European integration, saying that they are motivated by uneasiness and anxiousness in Europe.
Ouzzine spoke about Morocco’s ties with Africa and Europe, quoting the late King Hassan II who said: “Morocco is a tree deeply rooted in Africa, with the leaves stretching over Europe.”
The Popular Movement politician noted that the idea “is to emphasize both: the Moorish influence in Iberia, as you might have noticed in the cuisine, spices, architecture and much more, as well as Morocco’s ties to sub-Saharan Africa which go back as far as the kingdom’s founding in the seventh century onwards,” he said.
“Morocco is indeed linked historically, and culturally, to both Europe and Africa,” the politician added.
Ouzzine’s choice to communicate in English comes as several Moroccan institutions and high-profile figures have been using the language in addition to or over French. The move signifies a shift from the francophonie that has defined the country over the past few decades.
The Renew Europe PAC annual meeting took place in Marrakech with the participation of members of the European Parliament, ministers, speakers of national parliaments, and parliamentarians from Europe and Africa.
Renew Europe is a political group that works in the continent and other regions in the world, most notably Africa, and aims to “achieve a stronger Europe.”
