The two Heads of State spoke successively and at length on July 30 and 31, Mohammed VI on the occasion of the traditional Speech from the Throne, Abdelmadjid Tebboune during an interview with the national channel.
Like last year, it was through a speech broadcast on television that King Mohammed VI addressed Moroccans on the occasion of Throne Day. A device justified by the “continuation of preventive measures imposed by the evolution of the health situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic”, the Moroccan Ministry of the Royal Household announced on July 22. All the activities, festivities, and ceremonies planned for this 23rd Throne Day have therefore been postponed.
Referring to the global pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war, the sovereign launched his speech by calling on Moroccans to show “a spirit of initiative and resilience”. Mohammed VI then devoted the beginning of his speech to the reform of the status of women. He cited, to his credit, “the promulgation of the Family Code and the adoption of the 2011 Constitution which enshrines equality between men and women in rights and obligations”, before calling for “the operationalization of constitutional institutions concerned with the rights of the family and of women”.
In this speech with a strong social tone – while the head of government Aziz Akhannouch faces a challenge against a background of inflation -, Mohammed VI welcomed the actions undertaken: effective vaccination campaign, generalization of social protection, and extension of compulsory medical insurance. He also announced for the end of 2023 the implementation of the “project for the gradual generalization of family allowances”. Mohammed VI also called for “the consolidation of national solidarity mechanisms, a determined and responsible fight against speculation and price manipulation”.
The King of Morocco could not avoid the subject of the crisis with Algeria, with whom diplomatic ties have been severed since July 2021. He thus affirmed that the borders which separate the two “brotherly” peoples, and of which he deplores closure, “will never be barriers preventing their interaction and understanding”.
“Allegations that Moroccans insult Algeria and Algerians are the work of irresponsible individuals who strive to sow discord between the two brotherly peoples,” added the Moroccan sovereign. In a statement in the form of an appeal to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, M6 said it wanted “the establishment of normal relations” between the two countries.
Palestine, prisoners of conscience…
The Algerian head of state spoke one day after his Moroccan counterpart. Without quoting his neighbor directly, and referring to the organization of the next Arab League summit in Algiers in November, Abdelmadjid Tebboune assured that Algeria “has no problem with any Arab country and respects all States”. While Algiers criticizes Rabat for having normalized its relations with Israel in 2021, the Algerian president indicated that “without unity and unification of ranks, the independence of Palestine cannot be achieved”.
In a desire to take the opposite course to Moroccan diplomacy, Algiers has multiplied contacts with Palestinian organizations in recent months, whether it is the Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas or Hamas of Ismaïl Haniyeh.
The two Palestinian leaders also met in Algiers on the occasion of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of Independence on July 5 , under the auspices of Abdelmadjid Tebboune. The latter mentioned the organization of a conference on Palestine in Algiers before the Arab summit. He also cited the case of Syria, whose return to the Arab League is the subject of intense lobbying by Algiers.
In the chapter of internal politics, Abdelmadjid Tebboune disputed the cases of “prisoners of conscience” in Algerian prisons, even speaking of “lie of the century”. The Algerian president also confirmed that the process of regularizing the situation of former leaders of the FIS, the Islamist movement dissolved in 1992, was part of the extension of the law on civil harmony submitted by Abdelaziz Bouteflika and adopted in 1999.
