Op-ed: Morocco between two speeds.. when the state outpaces its elite

Morocco is currently in a delicate phase of its political and social history. This phase is marked by a clear paradox between the dynamism of the state and the sluggishness of its elites. While the monarchy is steadily modernizing the social project and developing a new model for growth, the political, cultural, and media elites are stuck in traditional ways of thinking and are unable to keep pace with the profound changes taking place in Moroccan society.

This gap, referred to by King Mohammed VI in his 2025 throne speech when he said that “Morocco is moving at two speeds,” is not merely an administrative or technical issue, but rather a crisis of vision and practice that casts a shadow over politics, economics, culture, and societal values.

The royal statement captures the heart of the issue: the widening divide between a monarchy embracing new ideas and initiatives and a political and cultural elite hesitant or reluctant to fulfill their historical roles. This is a pivotal moment of collective realization that the role of the elite must be redefined in a new Morocco that aspires to progress, justice, and effectiveness.

In past decades, the political elite championed a social project of reform and change. Today, however, their ambitions have diminished, replaced by a “realism” haunted by fatalism. They mainly pick up official signals and react to them slowly. Even the democratic forces that pioneered change have been surpassed by society’s new digital culture. The traditional leftist elite now focuses on institutional representation rather than democratic practice. Meanwhile, the new left’s dreams have melted away amid disputes, divisions, and personal ambitions.

In contrast, the royal institution surpassed these elites in its boldness to raise issues, address problems, and chart new horizons, free from the constraints of right-wing or left-wing partisan alignments.

However, deep-rooted corruption is what really holds back development and democracy. It eats away at opportunities for progress and turns institutions into spoils. Some officials start out as “small-time” corrupt and gradually rise to become “big” in it. The truth is that they remain insignificant, no matter how high their positions are. Meanwhile, the principle of linking responsibility to accountability remains suspended in many cases, despite the clarity of the constitutional text. Accountability is treated as a secondary option, not an absolute necessity.

As parliamentarian Abdelrahim Bouaida said, trust in the elites has collapsed. These elites have failed for decades to bring about change and have become an obstacle to it. They insist on returning with the same mindsets and approaches. When education weakens, universities decline, and independent and free media are stifled, families collapse and political parties become dominated by opportunists. In this environment, the country can only produce an elite that is politically and morally bankrupt.

The educated elite are withdrawn into themselves today, viewing society from their ivory tower instead of enlightening it and charting a course for reform and change. The media elite, which was supposed to contribute to framing public debate, pluralistic social dialogue, and revitalizing the democratic process, has failed to perform these roles. It has fallen at the first hurdle of self-regulation, let alone contributing to democratic change.

Today, we need a “productive elite” that uses its position to create political, economic, social, and cultural value through innovation and creativity, as well as by proposing solutions that benefit society, rather than a “rentier elite” that benefits from privileges and monopolizes resources through corruption without producing anything that serves the nation.

As Professor Abdellatif Agnouche points out, in the past, the state dealt with its elites using a system of rewards and privileges, which was justified given the legitimacy crisis at the time. However, this system has now been abandoned. Yet, some elites have not abandoned their rentier mentality.

They have resorted to depleting resources, transforming themselves from an effective, proactive arm of the state into a burden on it. Consequently, we are facing a crisis in producing elites who can keep pace with societal developments and challenges. These elites should be influential in decision-making, productive, imbued with a spirit of citizenship, and prioritize the interests of the country over all else.

What characterizes these various elites is narcissism, selfishness, detachment from society, blurred vision, and the dominance of improvisation and knee-jerk reactions. With a lack of competence, politics and administration become fields managed by those who lack training, experience, and foresight, which exacerbates the lack of efficiency in teamwork and leads to slow decision-making and weak responses to change.

On the other hand, the state sometimes appears more progressive and democratic, as in its handling of issues such as gender equality and parity, transitional justice, cultural diversity and multilingualism, human development, rights and freedoms… which highlights the paradox: the social project exists at the state level, but it does not find a real partner among the elites to translate it into reality.

International experience confirms that true renaissance can only be achieved with elites and leaders who are connected to their people, combine competence and integrity, and have a clear vision and the ability to read reality and interact with it intelligently and responsibly. This rule applies to all nations, and Morocco is no exception. Without elites of this caliber, any development projects or democratic reforms will remain incomplete, no matter how good they look on paper.

What is needed today is not only to modernize political parties or amend laws, but to bring about a quiet revolution in minds, hearts, and behaviors, restoring the natural role of the elite and restoring society’s confidence in its leaders and institutions. Only then can Morocco move from running at two speeds to advancing steadily and consistently toward the future.

Clearly, the biggest challenge facing Morocco is not the absence of projects or strategic visions, but rather the weakness of the elites who are supposed to bridge the gap between the state and society. When the state outpaces its elites, the disparity in speed indicates a structural imbalance in the leadership and thinking systems.

This can only be achieved through a quiet revolution in values and mindsets that restores the importance of competence, integrity, and commitment and makes serving the country an end in itself rather than a means to an end. Only then can Morocco move forward at a steady pace toward a future worthy of its people.