Former French PM Valls Backs Moroccan Agriculture Minister for Prime Minister Role

In the eyes of the Franco-Spanish leader, Aziz Akhannouch is a privileged candidate for the position of Prime Minister. In an op-ed published by Le Journal Du Dimanche, he highlights the strengths of the boss of the National Rally of Independents (RNI). He mentions the victory of his party in the last elections of the professional chambers. The RNI obtained 638 seats out of the 2,230 that were to be filled, i.e. 28.61%.

He also praises the merits of Aziz Akhannouch: "Minister of Agriculture since October 2007, he has implemented the "Green Morocco" plan launched in 2008 by Mohammed VI. Making agriculture a national priority, this plan has achieved real successes with in particular a net increase in agricultural GDP (from 65 billion in 2008 to 125 billion dirhams in 2018), a strong increase in agricultural exports (2.4 times) and 2 billion m³ of irrigation water saved and valued annually - which is reflected in the growth of GDP which has gone from 7% (1998-2008) to 17% (2008-2018)".

These successes, he points out, have prompted the sovereign to also entrust him in February 2020 with the agricultural development strategy of the kingdom until 2030 with the "Generation Green" plan, a new key program for the future of the country. "The stakes are important, because Morocco, which has been hit hard by the Covid crisis, despite good health management, has just launched a major program of economic and social reforms, with the ambition of becoming an emerging country by 2030. Among the priorities set are education, health, reducing inequalities or the fight against the rent economy."

In total, 18 million Moroccan voters are called to vote on September 8. "The Moroccan political game can hold many surprises. The traditional parties (the PJD, the PAM or the Istiqlal party) are far from having said their last word. And in all hypotheses, the proportional voting system implies a coalition government. But we (Europe, note) would have everything to gain if the government of Morocco were led by a strategist, a modern entrepreneur, with a real economic and social vision, capable of meeting the challenges of Morocco," concludes Manuel Valls.