Maati Monjib
Published: 2015
Total Pages: 10
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The post-Arab Spring period in Morocco has undergone different stages of changing state-society relations with regard to democracy, citizenship and human rights. The first stage, between February 2011 and the summer of 2013, was characterised by popular protests demanding democracy and freedom. People criticised public policies related to civil, political and social rights (employment, health, education, the status of women, and the issue of Amazigh). This outburst put the state in an awkward, defensive position. If we compare Morocco with the other Arab Spring countries, the Moroccan state's reaction was moderate in its use of violence and repression, and it was positive, in that it resulted in the implicit, yet official acceptance of the demands for democracy, citizenship and battling corruption. Now there is a feeling that the political space is becoming smaller and that there is less and less room for advocating change and the respect for, let alone the expansion of human rights. This is accompanied by a fear that calling for reform might pave the way for violence and terrorism on national soil. For the majority of the population, the overall situation in Morocco is still far better than in most other Arab countries: in that context, the cost of protesting and calling for political change appears to outweigh potential marginal improvements.