Since its election in October 2021, Aziz Akhannouch’s government has faced challenging circumstances, marked by its inflationary policies in vital sectors and global challenges such as protests for social justice, inflation, climate change, and prolonged rainfall deficits leading to unprecedented drought, not to mention allegations of his own shady business dealings leading to further self-enrichment. These factors have led to unprecedented social discontent, escalating daily due to the rising cost of living.
The 2021 elections saw the National Rally of Independents (RNI), led by Aziz Akhannouch, dominating the political scene with 102 seats in the Lower House. This, coupled with alliances, granted Akhannouch a parliamentary majority, enabling him to control various vital sectors and influence the destiny of his fellow, uber-wealthy compatriots and their monopolization of the flow of revenue, thereby consolidating their wealth and increasing the gap between rich and poor.
Despite promises of economic reforms, the government’s initiatives to allocate a monthly financial income to the elderly, increase teachers’ salaries, create an additional one million employment opportunities, and increase funding for sectors such education and health, have failed and remain unfulfilled. This has resulted in historical crises, notably the prolonged teachers’ strike which is threatening an entire academic year.
Despite multiple meetings held by the government with the directors of the educational trade unions and the composition of a ministerial commission, the future of the student remains in danger, as morale among teachers remains at an all-time low in light of the government pinning the blame for the fiasco on the teachers themselves.
Akhannouch’s government, presented as the “government of the people,” has paradoxically presided over an unprecedented surge in living costs. The skyrocketing fuel prices–reaching a record 16 dirhams per liter–have shown a disproportionate effect on transportation, food prices, and other essential goods, profoundly affecting all but the wealthiest one percent of the citizenry.
Amid this social and economic crisis, the Moroccan Competition Council slammed nine companies operating in diesel and gasoline supply, storage, and distribution over their monopolistic practices in the local market. One of the companies is owned by the current head of government, Akhannouch himself.
With Akhannouch’s name becoming synonymous with the cost of living, especially in light of his conflicting ties with cutthroat fuel companies, the government finds itself at the center of public discontent. The crisis has not only depleted citizens’ savings but has widened the scope of poverty, now affecting 3.2 million Moroccans.
The deterioration in living conditions has led to unprecedented social unrest, evident in the education sector and growing public anger fueled by escalating prices. Morocco’s Statistics and Forecasts Office (HCP) highlighted that 87.3% of households witnessed a deterioration in living standards during the second half of 2023. This underscores the urgent need for Akhannouch’s government to address the growing crisis and salvage what it can in the latter half of its term.
The failure of Akhannouch has also emerged in the health sector, as nurses are dissatisfied after two years of unsuccessful dialogue with the Ministry of Health, claiming that none of the government’s promises have been fulfilled to their demands, which include fair compensation, adequate risk premiums, and an increase in the supervision allowance for new recruits. Hence, nurses no doubt will–as teachers did already–take to the streets for strikes and protests if their grievances are not addressed.
In conclusion, the indicators–including those from credible institutions such as the HCP–expose the facades that cost the Akhannouch’s government millions in yearly propaganda. Without swift corrective actions, this administration risks being remembered as a dark chapter in modern Moroccan history.