The King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, is a sick man. He had heart surgery in 2020 and he had the Covid in 2022. In recent months, he has spent more time in Paris than in his country, and he gives instructions to his advisers and to his Prime Minister by telephone or videoconference.
However, his concerns are not limited to his fragile health. During the summer, he was filmed hanging out with friends and appeared to be inebriated with a drink in his hand. His bodyguards wanted to prevent the person from filming, but the video circulated on social networks.
Controversy with German wrestlers
This episode was preceded by another scandal, after three German wrestlers of Moroccan origin, the Zuaiter brothers, were welcomed at the royal palace and photographed in the presence of the king. It would not have been controversial if the brothers had not exploited the photos for their own benefit, to buy land and obtain business creations, all based on their relationship with the king.
Mohammed VI did not go to the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, preferring to send his son, Prince Moulay Hassan, which indicated at the same time the probable identity of the heir to the throne. The king’s advisers said he had not traveled to London due to his state of health. Unofficially, he also cared for his sick mother in Paris.
Morocco is not in better health than its sovereign. The country has invested heavily in the purchase of weapons, missiles and other military equipment, including an Israeli missile defense system called “Iron Dome” and Israeli surface-to-air missiles. But Morocco has not recovered from the double shock caused by the coronavirus and a severe drought. At the beginning of 2022, the World Bank estimated the country’s annual economic growth at 3.2%, but this forecast has recently been revised to 1.5%.
The kingdom imports 90% of the oil and natural gas it consumes, the cost of which has skyrocketed since the invasion of Ukraine, thus straining the public budget. Tourism is gradually recovering, but revenue from this sector – $2.7 million [2,7 millions d’euros] in the first half – turned out to be much lower than expected, and lower than pre-Covid. D