Join on WhatsApp 
Join on Telegram Marrakech – Former Head of Government Abdelilah Benkirane praised Morocco’s monarchy during a political meeting with youth members of his Justice and Development Party (PJD) on Sunday, November 9.
“The Moroccan monarchical system is the best in the Arab world,” Benkirane stated. While Morocco’s economic situation might not be the best, he argued, “it is certainly not the worst, and in terms of democracy and human rights, we are in better shape than many countries in the region.”
The PJD Secretary General, who is seeking to reposition his party ahead of the 2026 elections, recalled that all attempts to change the monarchical system in Morocco have failed. “Even France, a colonial power, did not abolish this institution when it entered the country because it recognized its value,” he explained.
Benkirane illustrated his point with a historical example. “Sultan Moulay Youssef, despite Morocco being under French protectorate, maintained the dignity of the throne. Marshal Lyautey [the first French Resident-General in Morocco] would kiss his hand in public and tell the French: ‘This is a man of great stature, let me treat him with the respect he deserves,’” he recounted.
Benkirane spoke in particular of the Moroccan monarchy’s remarkable institutional stability, noting that it has remained steadfast despite various transitions. “King Mohammed V, despite his closeness to the Istiqlal Party, maintained a certain distance from it, as did Hassan II when he balanced relations with the National Union of Popular Forces (UNFP) and other political formations,” he said.
Regarding the current monarch, Benkirane recalled that during the February 20 Movement in 2011, “King Mohammed VI received politicians before officials and told them: ‘This is your moment, the time for politicians.’”
He asserted that the Moroccan monarchy “not only guarantees stability but also protects the weak from the dominance of the powerful.” Benkirane warned, “The powerful can be managed, but they should never be allowed to oppress others.”
Political parties have lost public trust
Benkirane differentiated between parties born from popular will and those created by the state for circumstantial reasons.
He classified parties like Istiqlal, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), and his own PJD as having emerged “from the womb of the people through self-determination.”
In contrast, he identified the National Rally of Independents (RNI), the Constitutional Union (UC), and the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) as having been “established by the state for objective reasons.”
“When parties were struggling for principles, people’s interest in them was high, but when negotiations and deals began, people lost confidence in them,” Benkirane stated. He noted that “when parties weaken, they start recruiting notables who represent social phenomena but are not true politicians.”
The PJD leader admitted that his own party was affected by this phenomenon after its government experience. “We went through the first phase, then the second, and then came the blow that weakened us, but the party remained standing, thank God,” he said.
Current government faces harsh criticism
Benkirane did not hold back in his assessment of the current administration.
“I don’t know today’s ministers. I only know those I worked with previously. Today, no one speaks; even journalists complain about their silence,” he said of what many have lamented as the current government’s unresponsiveness and dismissiveness in the midst of popular discontent.
He directly challenged the current Head of Government: “Mr. Aziz Akhannouch has no political experience. He entered politics with his money, but politics is not just money – it’s understanding, communication, and the ability to explain.”
Benkirane added that “few of today’s politicians can sit with people and engage with them.”
In a pointed reference to Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi, his former ally and current rival, Benkirane criticized the minister’s public admission about a villa given to his wife without declaring its true value. Benkirane used this example to urge Moroccans to show more honesty in tax matters.
In fact, Benkirane has repeatedly invoked the minister in many of his public interventions, accusing him on several occasions of corruption and even of “straying from the faith.”
The confrontation between the PJD leader and the Justice Minister is neither new nor fleeting, but a long-standing and recurring rivalry.
Benkirane has particularly taken issue with Ouahbi’s outspoken defense of liberalism and individual freedoms. Benkirane often frames these stances as conflicting with Islam’s status as the religion of the majority in Morocco, noting that this is enshrined in the Constitution and embodied by King Mohammed VI in his role as Commander of the Faithful.
Benkirane also addressed young Moroccans in his comments on Saturday, urging them to be exemplary and honest citizens while demanding accountability from the state.
“The first lie for many Moroccans is their tax declaration. The income that God has destined for you will not be lost. If taxes are too high, fight against them, but don’t lie,” he said.
PJD’s role in the emergence of ‘Gen Z’ protests
Benkirane claimed his party contributed to the rise of recent youth protests across Morocco.
“Our party was among the reasons that contributed to the emergence of ‘Generation Z’ who took to the streets in various cities of the kingdom demanding health, education, and anti-corruption measures,” he stated.
Responding to claims that “the opposition has become formal and has no role,” Benkirane insisted that “the statements, words, interventions, conferences, and seminars that the party issued and participated in helped expose the government’s behavior and reveal its imbalances, but the government paid no attention to this.”
He elaborated: “When the government did not listen, society exploded in a different way.” This was in reference to nationwide protests led by GenZ212 activists.
Benkirane questioned the government’s approach to offering direct financial support to encourage youth participation in upcoming elections, calling the move “unnecessary” as it “doesn’t solve the problem.” Generation Z took to the streets because they felt there were imbalances in Morocco that needed correction, he explained.
The draft law the PJD is referencing was approved at a ministerial council on October 19. It subsidizes up to 75% of campaign costs for candidates under 35 and reserves regional districts for women. It also strengthens eligibility and anti-fraud rules amid ongoing GenZ212 protests for representation.
The government’s direction toward providing support to youth to bring them into parliament “will ultimately be understood as a form of patronage,” Benkirane warned.
“Moroccans may accept receiving money, but they don’t accept being viewed as if they can be bought, especially since the justification the government provides for this measure is unconvincing and not based on genuine reform logic.”
For the PJD leader, young people today do not need financial support to enter political work. Rather, he argued, their responsibility is to engage in politics through actual involvement in parties and to contribute to influencing local and national policies from within the system.
Gender seats viewed as already excessively allocated
Regarding female representation, Benkirane voiced opposition to increasing women’s seats in parliament solely based on gender. He argued that women should compete to earn their legislative seats, stating that the current number of women in parliament through quotas is already excessive.
“Women will never equal men in parliament unless leaders bring their wives and sisters,” he remarked, adding controversially that “women are naturally inferior to men because they bear children and give birth.”
Reflecting on the 2016 elections, when he was replaced by Saadeddine Othmani, Benkirane admitted that he still has not accepted this outcome. He stated that, on one hand, the party should have rejected replacing its secretary general and withdrawn from the government.
However, he added that he had another concern about PJD being replaced by the PAM, which was being prepared to enter the government in 2012 but “broke down and will not return to its former strength.” He noted that the RNI became the alternative that was used to replace PAM.
Benkirane further contended that Morocco guarantees freedom of speech and the right to demonstrate within certain limits. In fact, he added, the state of individual freedoms in Morocco is better than in other Arab and Islamic countries, where “merely posting online can lead to months in prison.” Ironically, critics may respond that Morocco has also sentenced individuals to several years in prison for online posts.
The path to reform is not strewn with roses but is linked to major interests and internal and external pressures, with some benefiting from corruption and resisting reform, Benkirane said. He stressed that reform must occur while maintaining the country’s stability – although difficult, it is not impossible, and outside this framework would lead to chaos, which is not desired.
Regarding the upcoming 2026 legislative elections, Benkirane emphasized that the PJD is “the first party in Morocco at the level of political reality.” He cited the party’s continuous presence in parliament, participation in public debates, and the statements and positions it routinely issues on hot topics and critical social challenges as evidence of its weight on the Moroccan political scene.
Benkirane affirmed that turning to his party in times of crisis is not “a negative matter” as some believe, but rather “it is proof of the trust that citizens and the state place in it.” He questioned, “If people will only turn to you in easy times, what good are you?”
Friday sermon unification draws criticism
Benkirane expressed strong opposition to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs’ decision to unify Friday sermons.
“I completely disagree with this decision,” he said, explaining that sermons should remain a space for imams’ personal interpretation because “each region has its specificities and issues that need direct addressing from the pulpit.”
He revealed that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi first discussed this idea with him during a meeting that Benkirane had initially refused. “El-Sisi was the first to talk to me about unifying the sermon, and we discussed the topic then, but I wasn’t convinced because it doesn’t align with the reality of our societies.”
Despite his criticism, Benkirane expressed admiration for the quality of Friday sermons in Morocco, stating they are “generally of a high standard and valuable content.”
Benkirane cautioned that “determining a unified sermon in advance and knowing its content by Wednesday may cause it to lose its vitality and interactive message,” suggesting this “could threaten Friday prayer itself.” He added, “They told me that attendance at Friday prayer has indeed started to decline.”
The PJD chief appealed to the Minister of Islamic Affairs, emphasizing that his position stems from “a spirit of brotherhood, love, and appreciation.” And he concluded by calling for a review of the decision to “ensure the status of the Friday sermon as a living space for awareness, guidance, and interaction with Moroccan society’s issues.”
