Mohammed VI of Morocco

Mohammed VI (; born 21 August 1963) is the King of Morocco. He became king on 23 July 1999 after the death of his father, King Hassan II.

In 2015, he was estimated by Forbes magazine to be worth US$5.8 billion, and the Moroccan Royal Family has one of the largest fortunes in the world.

Titles and styles

21 August 1963-23 July 1999: His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of Morocco 
23 July 1999-present: His Majesty The King of Morocco 

 Constitutional Reform from 2011 
The revolutionary wave that took over the Arab World in 2011, called the Arab Spring, had also an impact on Morocco. The lack of trust in the political class because of corruption allegations has made the population eager for change. Furthermore the powers granted to the monarch, by the constitution, regarding the appointment of high officials such as the prime minister have represented an issue for the democratization of the regime. Therefore the crown has named a so-called Commission Consultative pour la Re´vision Constitutionnelle (CCRC) with the purpose of framing a new constitution that would limit the power of the monarch and increase the ones of the elected representatives.Driss Maghraoui, "Constitutional reforms in Morocco: between consensus and subaltern politics," The Journal of North African Studies 16, no. 4 (2011): 692. The civil society, made out of  the most important political parties, trade unions, and media, has encouraged the voters to vote “yes”.Driss Maghraoui, "Constitutional reforms in Morocco: between consensus and subaltern politics," The Journal of North African Studies 16, no. 4 (2011): 686. On the 1 July 2011 the referendum for the constitution passed with an overwhelming majority, 98.5% voting in favor of the new constitution. One of the voters was King Mohammed VI himself.

According to the new constitution the monarch would be forced to appoint the head of government from the ranks of the party that received the most votes.Constitution of the Kingdom of Morocco, 2011, art. 47 The prime-minister would not only receive the title of president of the government, but would also gain executive powers such as implementing laws. This shift of executive powers from the King to the elected officials marks a significant turning point towards a constitutional monarchy.

The judiciary, usually criticized for the lack of independence, has also gained significant autonomy. As promised by the king, the crown would no longer interfere in the criminal justice system.

These changes were embraced, on the international stage, by the Obama administration and  the European Union.Driss Maghraoui, "Constitutional reforms in Morocco: between consensus and subaltern politics," The Journal of North African Studies 16, no. 4 (2011): 679.

However the monarch would still hold important titles within the state  such as the head of state, head of the armed forces, and  protector of the Islamic faith in Morocco.

 Foreign Policy regarding Western Sahara 
The early years of the reign of king Mohammed VI saw a stagnation of the issue of Western Sahara. Furthermore the U.N. wanted to organize a referendum in the region that would determine the status of the territory.

However, since 2007 Morocco has managed to shift the wind in its favor and after the U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 1754, it was made clear that a referendum was no longer viable. The government from Rabat has proposed a decentralized form of governance, with the territory still being under the crown’s sovereignty.

Only a few days before leaving office in 2020, President Donald Trump signed a Joint Declaration between Morocco, the United States, and Israel. This normalized Moroccan-Israeli ties and the United States formally recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.Kingdom of Morocco, United States of America, & State of Israel. (2020, December 22). Joint Declaration.  The US began to formally support Morocco’s autonomy plan as the sole basis for resolving the long-standing Western Sahara conflict. This recognition marked a significant American policy shift.

Since then, Morocco has gained significant regional and international support for its sovereignty over Western Sahara, with influential states and several European countries, which include Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Hungary, Cyprus and Romania, backing its autonomy initiative. The unwavering U.S. stance and European endorsements have strengthened Morocco’s diplomatic position and partnerships.

References

Category:1963 births
Category:Living people
Category:Kings of Morocco
Category:Current national leaders
Category:21st-century monarchs in Africa