Following the recent wave of Morocco’s GenZ-led protests calling for reforms and increased funding in health and education, the royal cabinet announced on Sunday nearly $15bn would be allocated to the two sectors in 2026, up 16 percent from the previous year.
In the same announcement, it pledged to create more than 27,000 jobs in health and education.
The protests that rocked the North African kingdom in recent weeks were triggered by the death of eight women after C-sections in a public hospital in Agadir, as well as astronomical investment in football infrastructure ahead of the co-hosting of the 2030 World Cup to the detriment of public services.
However, experts and the GenZ 212 movement remain sceptical of the proposed amount and its implementation.
In an official statement on 20 October, the youth-led movement urged vigilance, saying “these measures must be accompanied by firm measures against corruption and conflicts of interest”.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on
Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Redouane Amimi, professor and researcher in the legal, economic and social sciences faculty at Mohammed V University in Rabat, told Middle East Eye the broader context of the state’s general budget must be considered.
He recalled that government spending on education alone usually represents around 22-23 percent of total public expenditure. He deemed the $15bn “relatively small compared to the overall volume of spending”.
‘The increase functions less as a solution and more as a political tactic: a cosmetic upgrade to a broken system’
– Insaf Elouard, student
Amimi named the government’s move a “positive political signal” amid the youth’s calls for reforms.
However, he emphasised that the actual economic impact will be “limited unless it is accompanied by structural reforms, especially in the governance system”.
Corruption has long overshadowed Morocco’s governance, costing the country an estimated $5.4bn a year.
The most recent data from Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ranked Morocco 99th out of 180 countries in 2024 with a score of 37/100, a record-high corruption year for the North African kingdom.
Neutralising dissent
Zaynab El Bernoussi, a Moroccan associate professor of political science at the Africa Institute in Sharjah (UAE), cast doubt over the government’s plans, saying it came “in reaction to the unrest”.
She stated that the nature of the sudden budget news “does not seem part of a long-established tradition to prioritise health and education”.
“It is to be expected that less money will go directly to the young people themselves,” she said. “A portion will have to go to the processing of these projects with existing or new bureaucratic structures and intermediaries.”
Insaf Elouard, a 21-year-old student from Marrakech, echoed similar concerns.
“Before applauding the budget increase, one must interrogate its function: is this reallocation a response to systemic needs or a reactionary tactic to neutralise dissent?”
Moroccan GenZ 212 protesters want to ‘defend their right to a dignified life’
Read More »
She drew a parallel between the government’s reaction now and that after the Arab Spring in 2011. Inspired by the broader wave of protests in the region, Moroccans flooded the streets demanding systemic change.
“In response, the monarchy swiftly introduced a new constitution, widely hailed as a major reform. Yet, beneath the surface, the core of monarchical power remained intact,” Elouard noted.
The student believes that the largely symbolic nature of the constitution passed on the heel of the Arab Spring is “strikingly relevant today”.
“People are in the streets for many of the same reasons as 2011, underscoring how the grievances of the past remain unresolved,” she said.
“The increase functions less as a solution and more as a political tactic: a cosmetic upgrade to a broken system,” Elouard stressed, pointing to the repressive handling of the recent demonstration.
Since the protests broke out on 27 September, at least 597 young protesters have been jailed, already tried or awaiting trial, and another 140 were released on bail, according to the Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH). GenZ 212 demands the release of all detained peaceful protesters.
Heavy prison sentences are also being imposed. On 15 October, the Agadir Court of Appeal sentenced 17 people linked with the protests. Three defendants received 15-year prison terms, one was sentenced to 12 years, nine others to 10 years, and several more to three or five years in prison.
Elouard recalled the police violence at the protests.
“The killing of three protesters, the injury of 28 and the arrest of hundreds of people forced the country to confront the brutality that still underpins political control,” she said.
‘Change in mindsets’
Elouard believes the power of the youth-led movement cannot be overlooked, as beyond its calls for reforms, it “staged a historic rupture and generational revolt against the Moroccan regime”.
In her eyes, if any credit is due, it does not belong to the state or its institutions.
“It belongs to the organisers, activists and dreamers of radical hope who led protests under threat, repression and fear,” she said.
Professor Amimi notes there have been signs of high-level political will to bring about the needed reforms, referencing King Mohammed VI’s two most recent speeches on Throne Day on 29 July and the opening of the legislative year on 10 October.
Morocco: How GenZ 212 turned Discord into the ‘backbone’ of its protest action
Read More »
On these occasions, the king “explicitly called for a change in mindsets and management styles, emphasising a sense of responsibility and prioritising social impact,” Amimi said, believing the government will give “greater priority to the education and health sectors”.
However, any chance of reform will not be met unless the country overcomes the challenges of bureaucracy, regional inequalities, poor infrastructure in some areas and the lack of rigorous result monitoring, he added.
Separately from the draft budget, the government adopted on Sunday two draft laws ahead of the general election next year, including measures to promote youth participation in politics.
One proposal suggests candidates under 35 years old would face simplified candidacy rules and receive financial support covering up to 75 percent of their campaign costs.
The 2026 draft budget will be discussed in detail after the finance minister presents it to parliament next week.
Following the king’s speech this month, GenZ 212 protests resumed last Saturday, but with significantly lower turnout.
Mohammed VI did not explicitly mention the movement in his speech, nor did he so far respond to GenZ 212’s demands to dismiss Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, but said that “any negligence […] is unacceptable” and urged ministers to act with “greater speed”.
