Algeria and Morocco: What Made the Difference Between Them?

Do you ever wonder why some countries head in the right direction, and why others lose their way? It happens because of so many reasons, and these reasons can be different for every country, however, they all may make some major mistakes, which lead them to nowhere in the end. When we review Algeria and Morocco and see who is leading the way, we can pretty much understand why some countries fail and others succeed in their economic progress and overall development. So, let’s have a brief review of both countries to see what made the difference for one country to go ahead of the other one. First of all, it is time to analyze the economic development and the overall progress of Morocco. Being a nation-state in the power corridors of North Africa, Morocco has done a great job to revive its economy and change the fate of its people. It is vital to understand one thing that when the economy sees any kind of development, it happens because of long-term efforts made by a country. The economy cannot be put on the right path in a few days or months’ time, rather it can efforts for years to get things in the right direction. Morocco also started this agenda of economic reform in their hands in the 1980s, and they have kept working hard to make sure that their economy produces the goods. They have done this with the help of international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank.

One must realize the fact that international organizations did provide an impetus to the economy of Morocco; however, it is not the only thing for them to do well. It is critical to understand and appreciate the efforts of the Moroccan King, who has been a great leader for his country in a variety of ways. He came to the power after the death of his father in 1999, and since then, he is leading the country. The continuity of the leadership is critical for the continuity of policy and strategy to remain on the right track. So, the leadership of King Mohammed VI has provided a lot of sustainability and balance to the country as he has worked on his social and liberal reforms along with reforming the economy. He liberalized the country to make it progressive by developing a new family code, which gave more encouragement and power to women. He also worked hard to eliminate poverty and bring betterment in the life of people by conducting human development in the best possible manner. He also brought reforms in the Moroccan constitution and came up with a good diplomatic vision as well. He is a businessman himself, so he knew the importance of business activity. Therefore privatization and business regime saw a lot of positive things in his tenure. The local business has grown a lot in the last decade or so, and economic signals are looking positive for a better future.

On the other hand, when Algeria is analyzed with its current conditions, there is nothing significant to praise about the country. They have lost their way as a state because they have gone far away from the roots of democracy. The democratic values and norms are critical for any country to progress in all aspects. It is so sad to see the state of affairs in Algeria as they are under military rule, and maybe that’s why their wheel towards economic and social development has got jammed. They did not get the leadership like Morocco to put their things on the right track. The priorities have been wrong, and that’s why policy and strategic direction has also been wrong. They have never focused on their real issues, and that’s why they are staying way behind Morocco in all terms. One good example of why Algeria has struggled as a state is its unconditional support for the Polisario Front. This organization is fighting against Morocco to get independence. Algeria has not enjoyed good relations with Morocco, so they have supported Polisario Front to make trouble for Morocco in any possible way. It clearly shows that Algeria has a wrong strategy, as well as, wrong priorities, which has led them nowhere in the race of economic development between nations. Keeping the facts for both countries in context, one can easily decide that Morocco is way ahead of Algeria in almost everything. The economic reforms, sustainability, the continuity of leadership, and selection of the right priorities have made the real difference for Morocco when compared with Algeria.

Mr. Hicham El Cadi

International relations and diplomacy specialist

me@cadihicham.com