In rare move, Moroccan parliament opens health debate to public as Gen Z protests mount

Morocco’s House of Representatives agreed Wednesday to livestream a committee meeting with Health Minister Amine Tahraoui  after mounting pressure from lawmakers who argued that citizens should directly follow debates about the country’s strained health system.

The decision, announced by Speaker Rachid Talbi Alami, came minutes after the parliamentary committee on social sectors had initially rejected the request. 

Alami acknowledged that the broadcast was “an exception” and noted that the constitution does not normally allow live coverage of committee work. But with health care dominating headlines,  and streets,  he said Moroccans had a right to transparency.

The session was convened to examine the state of Morocco’s health sector and the measures being taken to accelerate reforms. It coincided with nationwide demonstrations spearheaded by the youth-driven “Gen Z 212” movement, which has framed access to health and education as its core demands.

Opposition voices pressed hardest for public access. Fatima Tamni, a leftist lawmaker, argued that the protests showed why citizens must be allowed to see “what is really being discussed” inside parliament. Mohammed Ouzzine of the Haraki party warned that secrecy risked deepening public mistrust: “We are not discussing state secrets. This is about health, which concerns all Moroccans.”