Hollande delivers a speech at state dinner hosted by the King. Abdeljalil Bounhar/Press Association Images. All rights reserved.While the Arab uprisings led to regime change, and civil war, the monarchy in Morocco managed to contain its protests through reforms, which were largely applauded by international leaders.
On July 6, 2011 Catherine Ashton expressed a widely supported perception among European governments and referred to the constitutional reform as “a significant response to the legitimate aspirations of the Moroccan people.” However the reform did not make Morocco more democratic or hold the regime more accountable.
Inspired by the Arab uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, the so-called 20 February Movement was able to unite diverse groups of Moroccan society and mobilise the largest demonstrations in at least a decade. The heterogeneous groups and individuals were first and foremost united by their criticism of the kingdom’s autocratic practices.
