Morocco’s New PM Akhannouch Outlines Vision After Landmark Election Victory

In an interview with the French newspaper L’Opinion, Aziz Akhannouch stated that "Moroccans love people who work, who succeed, because they see them as models of social advancement. They don’t like injustice and gratuitous attacks. And this was reflected at the polls."

Returning to the issue of the last election, the future Prime Minister indicated that "the September 8 elections represented a strategic issue for the kingdom after a decade where the PJD led the government."

Regarding the next government team, Aziz Akhannouch ruled out the possibility of a government alliance with the PJD, but did not exclude it at the local level. "Nothing prevents us from continuing to work with the elected members of the PJD, within the framework of municipalities and regions, where there are local skills," he specified.

On the question of the new direction Morocco intends to take, the businessman mentioned the strategy and the program to come, specifying in this regard: "We have recently defined a new economic development model in which all the major priorities of the future are found." And to add: "In this recovery period, the objective is to be able to quickly return to a growth rate between 4% and 5%."

To this end, Aziz Akhannouch stressed the importance of diversifying Morocco’s strategic partnerships, with Europe "the historical partner" but also with the USA and Africa. "As part of the normalization with Israel, the US administration should invest massively in the southern provinces. We also intend to continue the development strategy on our continent. Africa is our future," he said.