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    OPINION                                                             OCTOBER 31, 2025       |  The Indian Eye 11

            hashtag (212 is Morocco’s telephone
            country code). Demonstrations be-
            gan after Morocco unveiled the US$
            75 million Moulay Abdellah football
            stadium in Rabat. Simultaneously,
            various reports of medical negligence
            from different parts of the nation
            started to surface, raising questions
            about Morocco’s development prior-
            ities.
                The youth feel disenfranchised
            by Rabat’s public policies and in-
            ternational  ambitions,  primarily
            catering to external audiences and
            tourists. The protests were Moroc-
            co’s  first  demonstrations  since  the
            Arab Spring and the February 2020
            movement. The 2011 protests result-
            ed in constitutional reforms limiting
            the power of the Monarch. The re-
            forms granted more authority to the
            legislative and executive branches.
            However, owing to the constitutional
            reforms, it is now more difficult for
            the King to dissolve the government,         Moroccan authorities responded sternly to the latest demonstrations, with 500 people reportedly being arrested
            as it requires a broader consensus                                      and three people killed (File photo)
            and action by the parliament. Some
            protestors’ demands were political   techniques (CAPSAT) unit of the   the population lives below the pover-  expanding, with the elites controlling
            as they wrote a letter addressed to   Madagascar Armed Forces began re-  ty line, and half are under 18 years   most of the power and resources.
            King Mohammed VI, asking him to   fusing to follow orders from the Ra-  old. Since its independence in 1960,   The recent protests in Morocco
            dismiss the government and convene   joelina government, urged the rest of   the nation has had a history of insta-  and Madagascar highlight how the
            a government forum to hold public   the military to join the protest, and   bility, institutional weakness and per-  young population, or ‘Gen Z,’ is re-
            officials accountable.            sided with the young demonstrators.   sistent lack of access to basic services.   defining activism by leveraging digi-
                Moroccan authorities responded   Media reports term the development   Additionally, there has been linger-  tal tools to mobilise people, amplify
            sternly to the latest demonstrations,   a “coup” reminiscent of the military   ing resentment over the President’s   voices and challenge political systems
            with 500 people reportedly being   takeovers in Sahel, West Africa. This   reported French citizenship.  on what they deem governmental
            arrested and three people killed.   is the same elite CAPSAT military                                 corruption and the inability to de-
            Morocco has a good track record in   unit with whose help Rajoelina had   COMMONALITIES BETWEEN       liver public services. These protests
            managing crises and will likely ab-  assumed power in 2009 as head of       THE PROTESTS              were initially decentralised, had no
            sorb the current protests and gradu-  the transnational government follow-                            formal leadership, and were success-
            ally return to normalcy. Nonetheless,   ing a military coup. The same unit is   ocial media platforms allow for   fully mobilised using social media
            the protests are a wake-up call and   now rebelling against him. Most re-  rapid communication, coordi-  platforms. However, online enthusi-
            point to the deep chasm between a   cently, CAPSAT has announced the  Snation and fast mobilisation.   asm and energy have to translate to
            young, digitally connected genera-  overthrow of the Rajoelina govern-  While the context and nuances with-  sustained  political  engagement  to
            tion and Morocco’s governing elites.  ment and the formation of a transi-  in  the  ‘Gen Z’  protests in  Morocco   achieve systemic change.
                                              tional government.                and Madagascar may vary, they share   Like  during  the  Arab  Spring,
               MADAGASCAR PROTESTS                Despite Rajoelina expressing his   specific common root causes. In both   when protests in Tunisia spread to
                                              desire to have a dialogue with young   nations, the political elites have done   other Arab countries, the current
                   nlike in Morocco, Madagas-  people and even dismissing Prime   little to improve the economic plight   protests in Morocco and Madagascar
                   car’s  government  has  been   Minister Christian Ntsay, protestors   of their citizens. This is evident in   could have ripple effects across the
            Utoppled after President Andry    are demanding his resignation. Now   Madagascar, where income per cap-  larger Middle East and North Africa
            Rajoelina reportedly fled the country   that  he  has  fled  the  country,  CAP-  ita has fallen since its independence   region.
            on  14  October  2025  to  “find  a  safe   SAT has taken over. Will new elec-  from France. Morocco’s lack of quali-
            place to protect his life”. Malagasy   tions take place? Only time will tell,   ty public services was juxtaposed with   Dr. Abhishek Mishra is an Associate
            people protested his administration   but for now, the CAPSAT unit has   the government investing billions into   Fellow with the Manohar Parrikar
            for weeks due to a lack of water sup-  declared that it commands the coun-  building football infrastructure. So   Institute for Defence Studies and
            ply and repeated power outages in   try’s armed forces and has appointed   the question arose whether the Mo-     Analyses
            the capital, Antananarivo. The pro-  a new military leader. The defence   roccan government prioritised sports   Views expressed are of the author and
            tests began as a youth-led movement   minister has reportedly accepted this   infrastructure over basic public ser-  do not necessarily reflect the views of
            known as Gen Z Mada, which coor-  move in Rajoelina’s absence. Some   vices.                           the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the
            dinated over social media and tied   reports indicate that Col. Michael   Another common  thread is the      Government of India.
            up with civil society groups and trade   Randrianirina has assumed power,   extreme imbalance of power and re-
            unions.                           and he hinted that a possible refer-  sources between a handful of elites   The full version of this article first
                The United Nations reported   endum  could be  undertaken  within   and the rest of the population. The   appeared in the Comments section of
            that the unrest has led to at least 22   two years.                 gap between the rich and the poor   the website (www.idsa.in) of Manohar
            deaths. To make matters worse, the    Madagascar, a former French   is evident and growing in both coun-  Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies
            Corps d’administration des person-  colony, has a per capita GDP of just   tries. The rift between the governing   and Analyses, New Delhi, on October
            nels et des services administratifs et   US$ 545. More than three-fourths of   political class and ordinary people is   18, 2025

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