Modern Morocco under Mohammed VI

King Hassan II (reigned 1961–1999) led Morocco through turbulent decades — the Cold War, failed coup attempts (1971 and 1972), the Western Sahara crisis, and the "Years of Lead" of political repression. His son Mohammed VI, who ascended the throne in 1999, initiated a cautious modernization that fundamentally changed the country.

The Mudawwana reform of 2004 revolutionized family law: women gained the right to divorce, polygamy was severely restricted, and the minimum marriage age was raised to 18. The Amazigh language (Berber) was incorporated as the second official language in the constitution in 2011 — a historic step for the recognition of Berber identity. In the same year, during the Arab Spring, Mohammed VI responded with a new constitution that gave more power to the parliament and strengthened the independence of the judiciary.

Economically, Morocco focuses on ambitious large-scale projects: the Port of Tanger Med (one of the largest in Africa), the high-speed train Al Boraq (Tanger–Casablanca in 2:10h, the first in Africa), the solar power plant Noor-Ouarzazate (one of the largest in the world), and massive investments in tourism, the automotive industry, and renewable energies. The country positions itself as a bridge between Europe and Africa.

Nevertheless, challenges remain: the gap between modern, urban Morocco (Casablanca, Rabat, Tanger) and the rural hinterland is large. Youth unemployment is over 25%, the literacy rate in rural areas is below 60%, and the social protests in the Rif (Hirak movement 2016–2017) showed that modernization and participation do not reach everywhere equally. Morocco is a country in transition — between tradition and progress, monarchy and democracy, East and West.