Morocco’s Civility Crisis Threatens World Cup Dreams

According to a survey by the Moroccan Center for Citizenship (CMC) conducted among a thousand people, 70% of respondents warn about the harassment of women, while 60% are alarmed by violations of the Highway Code. Only 3% of Moroccans believe that the level of civility in public spaces is high. "We live in anarchy. There is no respect. If there were, all this wouldn’t exist," laments Nawal, who lives a few meters away, with her two children, in an apartment just above a bar. And she adds: "At night, there are fights, people urinate in the street. It’s honking all the time. What can you expect from the new generation growing up in this environment?"

The majority of respondents also denounce the lack of cleanliness. "People throw their cigarette butts, fruit peels, packaging. They throw and I pick up. I can’t do otherwise. I’m a caretaker. Originally, my job is just to watch the door," laments Mohammed, the caretaker of a 1930s building, to RFI. But Mohammed is forced to do the cleaning as well. A situation he lives with difficulty: "I suffer, I’m tired. It’s not normal, it’s a shame, frankly."

Moroccan media have widely addressed the issue: its causes and the measures that would improve the situation. According to them, if nothing is done, it is Morocco’s "soft power" that risks being hampered during the CAN 2025 and the 2030 World Cup.