Morocco: Unchanged by the Arab Spring?

Photo by Magharebia

Morocco is supposed to be in a historic time. In two months Moroccans will vote in early parliamentary elections to create the government that will shape the future of their country. This new parliament will have the responsibility of implementing the historic changes brought about by the July 1 Constitutional Referendum. These representatives will be the guardians the Moroccan people's will and its guides towards a true constitutional monarchy.

Despite the historic nature of these times, life in Morocco seems quite normal. Other than some increased construction and public works, nothing seems to have changed since my departure in late July. Daily life is unchanged. The air is calm, absent of the tension caused by a collective hope for a brighter future. Is it possible that Morocco was untouched by February 20 and the Arab Spring?

In her book Policy Paradox, Deborah Stone discusses how communities act collectively to provide for the "recognized needs of their members." She goes on to say that we can see this in what she terms "mob actions", or spontaneous popular action against the status quo. Mob actions are expressions of how a community's needs are not met by current socioeconomic or political realities. Beyond this, Stone states that such actions "may be the vital force in community formation." In other words, the expression of needs through mob actions may lead to the creation of a new community or communities within a society whose collective needs are at variance with the current status quo of said society.

We can view the Arab Spring as a series of 'mob actions' that redefined the collective needs of many Arab nations. The people who participated in these uprisings sought to provide new needs for their communities, namely democracy and democratic values. By doing so, they created a new democratic community. The size of these movements indicates the degree of 'community formation' around of these movements' stated ideas and goals. The popular support gained by many of the Arab Spring movements shows the creation of new 'democratic communities.' These communities' defense of their needs (i.e. democratic ideals) will be crucial to the successful establishment of popular democracy in the region.

To this end, we can argue that nations like Libya, Tunisia and Egypt experienced tremendous change. Their popular revolutions indicated a shift in community needs. Ideas like social justice, economic opportunity and democratic government transformed from mere hopes into necessities the community went to great risks to attain. While it remains to be seen whether these community needs are successfully translated into democratic government, we can say, at least, that change has come.

What, then, can we say about Morocco?

February 20, Morocco's popular democracy movement, never gained the popular support achieved by similar groups elsewhere in the Arab world. As I've written, we can view the new constitution as monarchy's and political mainstream's successful co-option of February 20's revolutionary energy, a move that, by and large, Moroccans accepted. July's referendum was the community's opportunity to voice its opinions. Rather than refuse the status quo, Moroccans, in droves, participated in the corrupt practices the political mainstream employed to coerce support for its 'constitutional project.' When the political parties looked to buy votes, Moroccans were there to sell them.

When the opportunity presented itself, when the Moroccan community was asked to acknowledge its collective needs, it said, 'our needs are the same as they've always been.'

I'm reminded of a conversation I witnessed between a Moroccan friend and an American ex-pat this Spring. My friend suggested that Morocco could solve political corruption by electing new, more trustworthy politicians. The American disagreed, stating that until Moroccan society changes on a popular level, the political environment would remain the same. He argued that you can't expect someone who grows up in a society in which people regularly cut corners and break 'rules' to perform favors for friends and family to not do the same if they achieve political office.

In this sense, we can say that Morocco remains unchanged after the Arab Spring. Despite a very vocal minority's call, Moroccans refused to label transparency, social justice and democracy as communal needs. Until this changes, as long as Moroccans value stability over other social values, business will continue as usual in the Maghrib.