On August 5, 2025, Moroccan journalist and political analyst Reda Addam published a striking article on his official page titled “Akhannouch… The Shadow Man Unveiled”, offering a bold and in-depth political analysis of the transformations that have shaped Morocco’s economic and political power structure over the past decade. He focuses in particular on the rise of businessman and current Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch to a central position within what the author calls the “supra-state system.”
This article is not a fleeting opinion but resembles – in both language and structure – a draft for a deep political investigation. It is based on the intersection of open-source data, international media reports, and keen political observations about the “tug-of-war between state logic and market logic” in shaping Morocco’s political decisions.
In this analysis, we attempt to unpack some of the major theses presented by Reda Addam – not to endorse or reject them, but to better understand the context in which they emerged and the serious questions they raise about the future relationship between power, money, and the constitution.
1. Akhannouch as a “Man of the Parallel State”
One of the article’s most significant claims is Reda Addam’s description of Akhannouch as a “man of the system,” not just a prime minister. According to Addam, he is a central figure in a new power structure that exceeds his executive role and acts as a “transnational influence broker,” leveraging his wealth, network of interests, and political adaptability to position himself at the heart of the state without bearing its institutional or accountability costs.
This reading aligns with international reports – such as in El País – that describe Akhannouch’s growing control over energy strategies, economic relations with Africa, and even Russian gas flows through Morocco, in an increasingly sensitive global context.
2. Is power still governed by government… or by business?
The article raises a fundamental question: can we still speak of “political authority” rooted in institutions, parliament, and public programs, or has influence effectively shifted to large economic groups that face no accountability or real competition?
Reda identifies several indicators of this shift:
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The real decision-makers in ministries have disappeared
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A network of “rentier technocrats” controls key positions
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The press is weakened through funding and pressure
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Culture and art are controlled through selective financing
3. From Samir to Total Mauritania: What’s next?
In a revealing point, Reda draws a link between the dismantling of Samir – the last attempt at national energy sovereignty – and the acquisition of foreign oil assets such as Total’s subsidiaries in Mauritania by Moroccan actors. He questions whether institutional influence is being used for regional economic expansion that may benefit the state in the short term but weaken domestic competitiveness.
These comparisons raise legitimate questions:
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Was the state’s withdrawal from strategic sectors a choice or a necessity?
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Is the private sector becoming a parallel state as institutions weaken?
4. Elections as Tools of Legitimacy, Not Accountability
Perhaps the most troubling part of the article is the description of Moroccan elections as a mechanism for recycling the same elites through a system of “regulated electoral rent,” built on money, loyalty-buying, and media campaign funding – in the absence of real political alternatives.
Reda links this state of affairs to a process of “reshaping collective awareness” through soft tools:
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Cultural funding
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Journalistic constraints
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Control of education
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Entertainment media used to defuse, not challenge
5. Where Do We Go from Here?
The article ends with a fundamental question: are we facing a crisis of individuals or a systemic crisis? Even if the current prime minister were dismissed, the same economic, political, and social structure would continue reproducing itself unless there is a real shift in the logic of state-building.
Reda Addam doesn’t call for rupture, but for a radical reform:
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Restoring accountability
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Reviving institutional mediation
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Separating financial power from public decisions
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Reassessing the relationship between technocracy and sovereignty
Conclusion: When a Journalist Writes in the Language of the Counter-Power
Reda Addam’s piece cannot be reduced to a Facebook opinion. It stands as a rare model of internal political analysis in an Arab context often dominated by either appeasing or populist discourse. From our position at Maghreb Now, we consider this kind of commentary – even if controversial – a vital part of the legitimate public debate.
We affirm that the views expressed in this analysis reflect the original author’s perspective, and we welcome any responses or clarifications from concerned parties – in full respect for freedom of expression and media fairness.
Until more responsible debate emerges, we ask again:Can democracy be built without freeing the state from the grip of money?
