The sky’s the limit for Morocco French relations

A cursory glance at French and Moroccan media reveals often conflicting opinions about the relationship between the two countries. Morocco has one of the World’s oldest monarchies, but that was not enough to shield the country from foreign interference and control. In 1912 France established a protectorate over the country, encouraging the growth of anti-French sentiment and a nationalist movement that was born in 1925 and which dedicated itself to getting rid of the colonialists. France may finally have officially left Morocco in 1956, but that sometimes frosty relationship continues. In recent days the leader of the main Opposition party in Morocco has been fiercely critical of President Macron’s apparent attempt to pin the blame for over 75 years of Israeli oppression of the Palestinians as somehow beginning with the Hamas attacks of October 7^th last year.

And yet despite the sometimes-strained political relationship, the economic ties between Morocco and France grow ever stronger. In recent days Morocco’s Panafsat and Thales Alenia Space have signed a memorandum of understanding to build a high-capacity satellite telecommunications system to advance digital connectivity across 26 African countries, including 23 French-speaking African countries. This resulted from an agreement signed during French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent state visit to Morocco. So, many other African countries are also benefitting indirectly from Morocco’s economic ties with France. Once in orbit, the satellite will provide key services to around 550 million people across a vast area of 12 million square kilometres, addressing connectivity needs especially in remoter regions. This new initiative also marks out Morocco as a digital leader in Africa as it prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Economic observers believe that Morocco is demonstrating a commitment to modernisation and readiness for future growth by enhancing its technological infrastructure and bridging the digital divide between Europe and Africa,

And France is Morocco’s top trading partner and the largest foreign investor. Both countries share a strong economic relationship spanning trade, tourism, and foreign investment. French companies, numbering nearly 1,000, are estimated to contribute over 150,000 jobs in Morocco, which many see as a testament to the strength of ties between the two countries.

Trade between the two nations reached €14.1 billion in 2023, driven by Morocco’s automotive exports and French trade in agricultural and transport equipment.

Navigating a sometimes-tempestuous relationship seems to be the watchword for Moroccan/French relations. But by and large there appears to be widespread support within Morocco for the economic benefits that flow from it.  Opinion however is much more sharply divided, as recent demonstrations have shown, between those who are becoming ever more strongly opposed to the ‘normalisation’ trading agreement signed between Morocco and Israel. Here a bitter pill cannot be sugared. Sometimes even the prospect of economic gain and greater prosperity is not enough to persuade people that older principles of solidarity and shared values are worth sacrificing. Afterall, Morocco was once a colonial fiefdom and Palestine is the last colony still to be freed. 

*Mark Seddon is a former Speechwriter to UN Secretary-General Ban ki moon & former Adviser to the Office of the President of the UN General Assembly