With protests spreading across several cities demanding better public health and education services, opposition parties have stressed the legitimacy of these peaceful demonstrations. For the past week, reactions have continued to pour in, calling on the government to give priority to dialogue. For more than a week, Moroccan cities have witnessed demonstrations demanding better public health and education services. Political parties, particularly in the opposition, have been quick to react. Several groups have stressed the legitimacy of peaceful protest and urged the government to change its handling of social unrest. On Wednesday, the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS) underlined that the government «should listen», give priority to dialogue, and «abandon the rhetoric of excessive complacency». Following its political bureau meeting the day before, which addressed both national and regional issues, the PPS placed special focus on the protests. In a statement, it noted that these demonstrations were «driven by legitimate social demands, related to the right to access basic public services, particularly healthcare in public hospitals, often characterized by poor quality, a severe shortage of human resources, and lack of medical equipment». The PPS called for «a positive approach based on listening and dialogue in response to various protests, in order to devise concrete, realistic, and effective solutions that meet citizens' expectations». At the same time, it urged the government to «address glaring shortcomings at all levels of governmental action by restructuring public policies». The party also pressed the government to abandon its narrative of having «achieved everything in an unprecedented manner», arguing that such claims only highlight «the government's weak communication and political vacuum» and risk deepening the «crisis of trust». MPs question the government This reaction comes after a statement from the Democratic Left Federation (FGD). On Monday, the FGD denounced the repression of demonstrations, including sit-ins in Agadir, Essaouira, Meknès, Tiznit, Taounate, and Oulad Tayma, expressing its «solidarity with detainees and condemnation of all forms of repression and restrictions against protesters». Like the PPS, it advocated dialogue as the only path to a sustainable resolution. In Parliament, the issue has been raised in both chambers. Two members of the National Union of Labor in Morocco (UNTM), the trade union wing of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), submitted a written question to the head of government over the deterioration of health services. Khalid Satti and Loubna Alaoui pointed to «weak infrastructure, lack of equipment and medical supplies, staff shortages, and poor administrative management» as the root causes. They warned that many patients and families are forced «to bear high expenses in private clinics or endure pain for long periods», and urged the government to «disclose the measures planned to improve health services in public hospitals and ensure their quality across regions, in line with Article 29 of the Charter of Public Establishments». This text stipulates that public services must operate under quality standards, through service charters, annual action plans, user satisfaction surveys, and the publication of results. In the House of Representatives, MP Nezha Abakrim of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) submitted a written question to the Minister of Health and Social Protection on September 15, calling for urgent measures to address the deterioration of services, particularly at Agadir hospital. She also raised the issue of accountability for those responsible and pressed for the swift commissioning of the city's new university hospital. The proliferation of committees Meanwhile, the Popular Movement (MP) criticized the government's record in public service delivery. In an open letter to the ruling coalition, party leader Mohammed Ouzzine pointed to «paralysis» in education and a decline in hospital care quality. He warned that «services have been privatized, and villages have revolted to demand a road in the mountains, or a doctor in remote areas». Ouzzine also denounced the government's reliance on «a maze of sectoral, territorial, local, and ad hoc committees» for health reform. «In this labyrinth, healthcare deteriorates, and citizens pay the price with their lives», he lamented. Over the past week, several demonstrations have led to arrests, particularly in Essaouira. In Taounate, protesters decried that the provincial hospital has been reduced to little more than a transfer point, sending patients to Fès for care. In Agadir, a similar protest last week prompted the dismissal of officials at the Hassan II Regional Hospital Center. On September 16, Health Minister Amine Tahraoui visited the site, announcing that a commission from the ministry's inspectorate had been tasked with investigating recent deaths. A central commission has also been mobilized to propose urgent measures in response to the dysfunctions observed.
