Morocco’s parliamentary majority has shown limited engagement with the reform of the National Press Council, submitting only 13 of the 249 total amendments proposed to Bill 26.25, which is scheduled for a vote by the Committee on Education, Culture and Communication on Monday, July 21.
The four parties comprising the ruling coalition, the National Rally of Independents (RNI), Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), Istiqlal Party (PI), and Constitutional Union (UC), which together hold 290 seats, proposed fewer amendments than a single independent lawmaker.
Fatima Tamni, elected under the Federation of the Democratic Left (FGD), tabled 18 amendments on her own.
The majority’s contributions have been largely technical, such as substituting “judgment” for “decision” in arbitration articles.
They did not address the law’s most disputed sections, notably the process for appointing representatives of publishers within the press council, an issue central to earlier debates over independence and sector regulation.
Opposition parties moved swiftly to propose changes before the July 18 deadline. The Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) submitted 64 amendments, followed by the Justice and Development Party (PJD) with 56, the Popular Movement with 54, and the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS) with 44.
This legislative imbalance has reinforced concerns over the ruling coalition’s apparent lack of investment in a bill that regulates a vital institution for media governance.
Several observers described the majority’s posture as passive or disengaged, particularly given the sensitivity of the press sector and the national debate surrounding its independence.
The committee vote will follow a plenary session of oral questions in the lower house. Debate is expected to remain heated as opposition groups push for stronger guarantees of transparency and balanced representation within the press council, while the majority’s silence has drawn criticism from press freedom advocates and civil society organizations monitoring the legislative process.
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