The monthly oral question session addressed to the Prime Minister in the Moroccan House of Representatives (the first chamber of Parliament), yesterday, Monday, witnessed sharp verbal confrontations and a heated political debate, sparked by the opposition parties’ objection to choosing the topic of education as the focus of the session, in a “sensitive” context dominated by “more pressing” social issues, foremost among them the repercussions of rising prices, the issue of sacrificial animals for Eid, and the decline in purchasing power.
Opposition MPs criticized the government, arguing that priority should have been given to these immediate issues instead of refocusing on the results and reforms of the education sector.
For his part, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch responded to these criticisms, stressing that education reform is not a secondary issue, but rather a “strategic bet” linked to the future of the country, and that the real investment lies in human capital through school and training.
The confrontation did not remain within the walls of Parliament, but extended to social media, where videos documenting moments of heated debate and exchange of accusations between the Prime Minister and a number of opposition MPs were widely circulated, along with posts and comments from journalists, intellectuals, political activists, and citizens.
These clips summarized part of the atmosphere experienced by the House of Representatives, after the opposition directed harsh criticism at the government’s policies on issues such as direct social support, employment and reform of the Compensation Fund, considering that the measures taken had not succeeded in alleviating the effects of inflation on citizens.
In contrast, Akhannouch appeared more aggressive than usual in confronting the criticisms directed at his government, as he accused some opposition parties of “belittling the state’s efforts” and “practicing political populism,” stressing that his government had the courage to open files that previous governments, of which some of the current opposition parties were a part, did not dare to address, citing what he considered progress in social protection workshops
The Prime Minister did not merely defend his government’s record in the education sector, but moved to a direct political attack, accusing some of his opponents of “populism” and “electoral exploitation” of the Eid al-Adha issue, considering that some parties reduced their political discourse to the issue of the sacrificial sheep, instead of presenting visions and programs for the future.
It was noteworthy that a female member of parliament belonging to the Authenticity and Modernity Party, the second partner in the government coalition, made an intervention that included observations and criticisms of the educational policy, particularly with regard to the fate of the public school reform and the management of the effects of previous strikes, school dropout, and lost educational time.
This intervention sparked debate in political and media circles, as some observers saw it as reflecting a desire among some party deputies to distance themselves from the majority, especially on sensitive social issues, as the upcoming elections approach.
The controversy extended to social media, where numerous posts criticized the Prime Minister's tone, arguing that his handling of the issues of inflation and unemployment reflected a state of tension in the face of increasing social criticism.
In this regard, Nabil Cheikhi, a leader in the Justice and Development Party, considered the Prime Minister's responses to reflect his annoyance with the criticism directed at his government regarding living conditions and rising prices. The post highlighted the famous phrase the Prime Minister addressed to Member of Parliament Abdellah Bouanou during Monday's session: "Who is whispering in your ear?" (meaning: Who is whispering in your ear and directing you?), concluding that "who is whispering in the ear of the opposition today" is not some hidden entity, but rather the voice of the citizens and their daily struggle with the high cost of living.
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