Morocco

The author of this book provides an overview of contemporary politics and international relations in Morocco and gives an up-to-date assessment of its economy and recent history. This country remains a mystery. So close to Europe, Morocco simultaneously represents a similarly open political culture and its complete antithesis: human rights associations openly challenge authoritarian rule, while an emphasis on Moroccan singularity and authenticity prevents the establishment of a real democracy. Widespread poverty and illiteracy coexist with a flourishing entrepreneurial class and the display of conspicuous wealth in cities; electoral institutions and political parties pay allegiance to a traditional monarch; disgruntled youth and inhabitants of shanty towns are receptive to the rhetoric of Islamic inspired violence and terror.

Drawing on key academic texts, Sater provides a detailed analysis of Morocco, focusing on issues such as Morocco’s role within the region, trade policies with Europe, Morocco’s Western Sahara policy, ways of dealing with political Islam, and the extent to which European influence has affected Moroccan society

Seen from the outside, the Moroccan political system appears to be one of stability and longevity. For more than five decades, the Moroccan political system based on the supremacy of the monarch has continued to exercise its hegemony over other political forces. It has done so because of its ability to adapt to social changes, identify challenges to its integrity, integrate these in the political scene through co-optation and alliance-building, and create a multitude of allied classes. This has caused apparently ‘modern’ political features and the establishment of quasi-modern societal characteristics. While the system thereby created seems well-entrenched and stable at first sight, the absence of effective measures of inclusion of marginalized groups has created a fundamental dilemma and has continued to produce challengers to the status quo.