The new king's appointees are at least clean, if inexperienced. Bribes are less common, and identity cards take hours rather than days to renew. Ministers openly rail against the evils of corruption, and some businessmen twitch nervously at the prospect of ignominious corruption trials. But many old ways are entrenched. A series of public-sector strikes in December were suppressed by force.
Bankers estimate the informal sector now accounts for up to half of Morocco's economy.
Although official GDP is stagnant, analysts point to a surge in electricity consumption as a gauge of actual growth. But there are also other signs of expansion, above all in tourism. Even so, the success is relative. Nine miles away, the little rock of Gibraltar attracts 6m. Morocco, stunningly beautiful, deserves better.