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Saadeddine Othmani

A six-party government formed after Benkirane’s dismissal; it faced the COVID-19 pandemic.

A six-party government formed after Benkirane’s dismissal; it faced the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stated targets Saadeddine Othmani set numeric targets up to 2021: sustained growth around 5%, unemployment below 8.5%, a budget deficit no higher than 3% and debt below 60% of GDP .

Economic record Before the pandemic growth stayed below target (5.1% in 2017, then 3.1% and 2.9%) and unemployment remained above 9% . COVID-19 then caused a 7.2% contraction in 2020, unemployment rose to 11.9% and 12.3% in 2021, and Treasury debt jumped from 60.3% to 72.2% of GDP .

Street impact The term began amid the Rif protest movement (October 2016 – June 2017), which ended with mass arrests and twenty-year sentences for its leaders . In April 2018 a massive consumer boycott against high prices targeted three companies . In November 2017 the King dismissed four ministers over delays in the Al Hoceima development programme .

Bottom line None of the four numeric targets was met, though the pandemic wrecked what remained of them. Voters punished the Head of Government's party, which lost 112 seats in 2021 .

Sources