In the context of the Arab Spring, the use of the term “Islamism” is very common. The new political elites throughout the North Africa, commonly referred to as the “Islamists”, often talk of replacing the old and more or less authoritarian secular regimes in the Middle East. Journalists also use the term quite excessively and […]
Tag: PJD
Chabat’s Shilly-Shallying, a Way of Being or a Tactic to Baffle the Enemy?
Hamid Chabat, the Secretary General of the Istiqlal Party, has been threatening for months now to withdraw from the coalition government, led by Abdelilah Benkiran’s Party for Justice and Development (PJD), if his repeated calls for a cabinet reshuffle were not heeded. Likewise, he has not missed any opportunity to lash out at the head […]
Morocco : the Benkirane-Chabat Showdown
Relations between the Head of the Government, Abdelilah Benkirane, and the leader of the Istiqlal Party, the backbone of the governmental coalition, Hamid Chabat, are growing more strained by the day. Chabat’s harsh criticism of the government’s performance and his repeated calls for a cabinet reshuffle are the main bone of contention between the two […]
O Maghreb: Where Art Thou… in US Foreign Policy?
The US elections and the monotonous presidential debates bear little to no substance on North Africa. In the much-anticipated third debate on foreign policy, there was scant mention of the countries of the Maghreb and their important strategic worth in US global fight against terrorism. Except for Libya (mentioned 12 times) in the context of […]
Fitch Gives Morocco ‘BBB’ Rating
Global rating agency Fitch has affirmed Morocco’s Long-term foreign currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘BBB-‘, Long-term local currency IDR at ‘BBB’, and Short-term foreign currency IDR at ‘F3’. The agency has also given the North African Kingdom a “stable outlook” and affirmed the country ceiling at ‘BBB’. Morocco’s ‘BBB-‘ rating is supported by a […]
Unemployment in Morocco … Hard Times for Youth
Abdurrahman, 30, graduated from college two years ago. Immediately after graduation he started the grueling job search process. First he applied for the public sector and took part in many hiring competitions but failed in them all. Then he sent his résumé to private employers but most of the time he received no answer and […]
Street Talk: Moroccan pros and cons about the ruling government
The Party of justice and development (PJD) is the first Islamic party to lead the government in Morocco’s modern history. This was the results of the early elections held in Morocco on November 25, 2011. The Islamist party won 107 out of 395 seats. Between pros and cons, the Moroccan society has different views about […]





