Ramadan, the Tree and the Forest
In recent years, for many of our fellow citizens, the month of Ramadan had become a true balancing act. Households scanned market stalls with angst and recalculated their budgets as they endured rising prices, while inflation left its mark on everyday conversations. Pressure on purchasing power was no abstract economic concept, but a tangible, almost physical reality. Suffice it to say that the holy month often began under tension.
This year, alhamdulillah, the atmosphere feels noticeably different. The rains have arrived, reservoirs have filled up, and the agricultural sector, long suffocated by drought, is regaining more favorable prospects. As a result, that infamous inflation has stabilized and growth is holding steady. Nothing euphoric, of course, but a welcome normalization after several periods of uncertainty. In short, the country is breathing a little easier.
Adding to this was the unifying interlude of football. The Africa Cup of Nations offered a collective moment of relief, unity, and positive projection despite its outcome. In a tense regional and international context, this type of event acts as a psychological stabilizer. It restores a sense of momentum to an entire nation, even if only temporarily.
Objectively speaking, Morocco is therefore entering this Ramadan under materially and emotionally more favorable conditions than during the previous two years.
But this relative improvement raises another question: what do we do with a moment of calm?
Because while economic indicators are improving, the political scene appears frozen and lethargic. We know the rhythm well: after football comes Ramadan, followed by the two Eids. Then summer will arrive with its festival season. In reality, the social calendar is as crowded as the political calendar appears empty.
Political parties have remained remarkably discreet, despite their customary Ramadan proximity campaigns where ftours are distributed in exchange for the hope of future votes. With legislative elections only months away, where are the programs? Where is the public debate? Yet the current head of government’s withdrawal from the race for the next premiership created a rare political opening. One might have thought this would be the moment for our politicians to seize the opportunity, to structure a new political offering, respond to the aspirations expressed by the youth, and open a substantive debate on the economic, social, and institutional model for the years ahead.
Of course, one can understand the collective temptation to enjoy this respite. After years marked by drought, rising prices, and international uncertainty, no one would deny the right to catch one’s breath. Ramadan itself invites people to slow down, refocus, and prioritize what truly matters. And that uniquely Ramadan-like torpor, that gentle suspension of time, offers a welcome pause.
But by endlessly moving from one soothing sequence to another, we end up postponing the structural questions. Yet the September elections are approaching, and they will determine the rhythm of the next five years leading us toward that much-discussed 2030 horizon. And if, by then, no serious debate has emerged, if no clear political direction has been articulated, the awakening could prove brutal.
Because, as the saying goes, the tree often hides the forest.
In the meantime, Ramadan Mubarak to everyone.
Zouhair Yata
