King of Morocco
ملك المغرب
Royal Flag of Morocco
Incumbent
Mohammed VI
since 23 July 1999
Details
StyleHis Majesty
Heir apparentPrince Moulay Ali Hassan
First monarch
Formation
  • 788 (788)
    (Idrisid dynasty)
  • 1666 (1666)
    (Alawi dynasty)
ResidenceDar al-Makhzen, Rabat
Websitehttps://www.maroc.ma/en

The king of Morocco (Arabic: ملك المغرب, romanized: Malik al-Maġrib) is the monarch and head of state of Morocco. The kings of Morocco are members of the Alawi dynasty. It is one of the country's most powerful offices.

Sidi Mohammed bin Hassan al-Alawi (Mohammed VI) became the king of Morocco on 23 July 1999, following the death of his father, King Hassan II.[1]

Rules and traditions of succession

According to Article 43 of the Constitution, the crown of Morocco passes according to agnatic primogeniture among the descendants of King Mohammed VI – unless the reigning monarch designates a younger son as heir apparent – failing which it devolves to "the closest male in the collateral consanguinity".[2]

Powers and duties

The 2011 Constitution of Morocco was adopted after the 2011 Moroccan constitutional referendum, following a series of protests where demonstrators demanded more political freedom, as a part of the wider Arab Spring movement. The king, in response, appointed a constitutional commission to draft a new constitution, which scaled back some of the king's powers and introduced democratic reforms. It defines the country as a constitutional monarchy, meaning the monarch exercises his authority in accordance with the constitution and is not the sole decision maker. However, the constitution still grants substantial discretionary powers to the monarch.

Similar to other constitutional monarchies, the king is the head of state and is its "supreme representative" and "symbol of the nation's unity", and represents the nation of Morocco in foreign diplomacy.[2] However, the king also has complete control over the armed forces and the judiciary, as well as matters pertaining to religion and foreign policy; the king also has the authority to appoint and dismiss prime ministers from the largest party elected to parliament.[3][4]

Since 1962, the king is also defined in the constitution as Amir al-Mu'minin ('Commander of the Faithful'), a title which grants him some religious authority.[5] It further conveys a religious basis for the monarchy's legitimacy, predicated in part on the sharifian status of the dynasty and confirming an idea that had already been widely accepted in Morocco prior to this time.[6]

It is a criminal offence in Morocco to undermine the monarchy, including publicly criticising the King's policy decisions.[7]

List of kings of Morocco

See also

References

  1. ↑ "World: Africa Mohammed VI takes Moroccan throne". BBC News. 24 July 1999. Archived from the original on 8 July 2004. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  2. 1 2 "La Constitution du Royaume du Maroc" (PDF). Royaume du Maroc - Secrétariat Général du Gouvernement. 17 June 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  3. ↑ "Morocco King to lose some powers, remain key figure". Reuters. 2011-06-17. Retrieved 2023-04-07.
  4. ↑ Voice of America (30 July 2011). "Moroccan King Calls for Prompt Parliamentary Elections" Archived 12 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  5. ↑ Bouasria, Abdelilah (2015). Sufism and Politics in Morocco: Activism and Dissent. Routledge. p. 40. ISBN 978-1-317-68144-1.
  6. ↑ Daadaoui, M. (2011). Moroccan Monarchy and the Islamist Challenge: Maintaining Makhzen Power. Springer. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-230-12006-8.
  7. ↑ "Moroccan man jailed for five years for criticising king in Facebook posts". Guardian. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
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