Morocco Faces Backlash Over Permanent Summer Time Decision

"Over the years, Moroccans have found themselves faced with a fait accompli, imposed by an executive with all the prerogatives to maintain summer time permanently," denounces Driss Sedraoui, president of the Moroccan League for Citizenship and Human Rights, to Hespress. He believes that this situation "cannot be considered normal, as long as it directly impacts the daily life of citizens". While the decision to maintain this time zone throughout the year is based on a study conducted in 2018, Sedraoui thinks that it "mainly serves the interests of multinationals investing in Morocco". Thus, he contested the justifications given concerning the reduction of energy consumption, stating that "reality shows exactly the opposite".

He also exposed the difficulties faced by Moroccans, the suffering of students and workers in industrial and agricultural areas, forced to "follow an official schedule imposed without popular consensus". "Its application during certain periods of the year forces citizens to face several difficulties, including increased flights and transportation problems," he explained, insisting on "the need to address this issue due to its direct implications for the health and safety of Moroccan citizens". He also called for a thorough evaluation of the period during which summer time has been applied permanently, except for the month of Ramadan.

Abdelwahad Ziat, president of the Moroccan Network of the Civil Alliance for Youth, holds successive governments responsible for the maintenance of summer time throughout the year. "This measure is harmful to health and has not been adopted by some other countries, while