While the Algerian president has taken a summer break, logically suspending his official activities, an unusual stir can be observed on the other side of the border. Many Moroccans, amplified by countless live streams and comments on social media, are eager to know: “Where is the Algerian president?” A question that might seem trivial at first glance, but in reality reveals deep political and psychological dynamics.
A Revealing Paradox
What stands out first is the paradox. The King of Morocco himself is often absent—whether for health reasons or extended vacations abroad—to the point that his prolonged absences have become a constant feature of Moroccan political life. Yet, despite this, the attention of many Moroccans is not focused on the management of their own internal affairs, but rather on the presence or absence of Algeria’s head of state.
At the same time, Morocco is grappling with multiple crises: economic, with mounting debt; social, with poverty affecting millions of citizens; and political, with a system locked down by the monarchy and marked by the repression of dissenting voices. Instead of questioning these realities, part of public opinion is mobilized around a distraction: Algeria.
Media Warfare as a Diversion Strategy
This obsession is no accident. It is part of a media warfare strategy orchestrated by the Moroccan regime. Social networks are used as tools of influence and propaganda: spreading rumors about the health or activities of the Algerian president serves to divert Moroccan public attention from its own hardships.
This is a classic political diversion tactic: designate an “external enemy” or focus on “the other” to avoid the spotlight turning inward. In this context, every silence or absence of the Algerian president becomes an opportunity to exploit the Moroccan collective imagination, fueling curiosity or even suspicion.
An Obsessive Rivalry
But this goes beyond a mere political maneuver: there is a genuine psychological and symbolic dimension to this fixation on Algeria. Morocco lives in a state of permanent rivalry with its eastern neighbor. Unable to detach itself from this comparison, it develops a quasi-fusion relationship with Algeria, where the existence of one seems defined by the presence and perception of the other.
This obsessive relationship manifests in the overexposure of even the smallest actions of the Algerian state. Algeria thus becomes a distorted mirror in which Morocco projects its own anxieties and frustrations. Instead of addressing its internal crises, the kingdom prefers to immerse itself in constant surveillance of its neighbor, hoping to find material to feed its political discourse and galvanize public opinion.
A Dangerous Game
However, this obsession could backfire on Morocco. By focusing so heavily on Algeria, it neglects its own structural weaknesses. Inflation, public debt, massive youth unemployment, a crisis of confidence in institutions, and the absence of genuine democracy will not disappear simply because people comment on the Algerian president’s vacation.
In reality, the more Morocco fixates on Algeria, the more it reveals a deep insecurity: if its political and social foundations were solid, it would have no need for this constant gaze toward its neighbor. This psychological dependence is therefore an admission of fragility, which, in the long run, could undermine the kingdom’s credibility both domestically and internationally.
Conclusion
The excessive interest of Moroccans in the temporary absence of the Algerian president illustrates a pathological relationship of fascination and rivalry toward Algeria. This obsessive link, fueled by propaganda and political diversion, actually reflects a profound imbalance within Morocco itself. By living in Algeria’s shadow, the kingdom risks forgetting the essential: addressing its own problems.
As for Algeria, it need not get lost in such obsessions: its sole mission is to continue on its sovereign, independent, and dignified path, without being distracted by the noise of its neighbors.
By Belgacem Merbah
البراتيشالسناغلة عبيد البخاري ناقصين حنان ،لا يستغنون على عمي تبون
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