Introduction: Interpreting Reform in Morocco

Abstract

This is an introduction to the main themes of reform in Morocco which are discussed by the contributors to this issue. It raises a number of questions regarding the process of reform and suggests that we need to go beyond the ‘authoritarian state’ model and the ‘democratic transition’ paradigm in order to better capture what is happening on the ground. Morocco has certainly experienced a number of significant changes in recent years, but no ‘transition’ as such. The introduction highlights the inherent contradictions of the reform process captured by the authors in this issue, which remain obstacles to meaningful structural changes.