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| Saadeddine Othmani | |
|---|---|
| Name | Saadeddine Othmani |
| Native name | سعد الدين العثماني |
| Office | Prime Minister of Morocco |
| Term start | 2017 |
| Term end | 2021 |
| Predecessor | Abdelilah Benkirane |
| Successor | Aziz Akhannouch |
| Birth date | 1956-01-16 |
| Birth place | Inezgane, Morocco |
| Party | Justice and Development Party |
| Alma mater | Mohammed V University |
Saadeddine Othmani is a Moroccan politician, psychiatrist and academic who served as Prime Minister of Morocco from 2017 to 2021. He is a founding figure of the Islamist-oriented Justice and Development Party (Morocco), has held posts including Foreign Minister in a caretaker capacity, and is noted for navigating Moroccan politics alongside figures from the Moroccan monarchy, regional parties, and international actors. Othmani's career intersects with Moroccan institutions, North African politics, Arab League diplomacy, European relations and transnational Islamist networks.
Born in Inezgane near Agadir, Othmani studied medicine and psychiatry at Mohammed V University in Rabat and later specialized at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Rabat. During his student years he engaged with Islamist intellectual currents linked to personalities such as Abdelkrim Al Khatib, Rachid Ghannouchi, and movements associated with the Islamic Charter. He completed postgraduate training that connected him to psychiatric research communities in Casablanca and collaborated with hospitals linked to the Ministry of Health (Morocco), while maintaining ties to academic circles at Université Hassan II and Université Mohammed V.
Othmani co-founded the Justice and Development Party (Morocco) alongside leaders including Abdelilah Benkirane and played roles within the party's executive and parliamentary delegations to bodies such as the House of Representatives (Morocco) and the House of Councillors (Morocco). He served as Secretary General of the party and as a member of cabinets involving prime ministers drawn from parties like the Istiqlal Party and the Popular Movement (Morocco). Othmani was elected to parliament representing constituencies in Agadir and participated in legislative committees with counterparts from Party of Progress and Socialism, National Rally of Independents, and USFP. Internationally, he engaged with delegations to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League, and interparliamentary forums involving European Parliament representatives and United Nations missions.
Appointed Prime Minister by King Mohammed VI after a prolonged post-election period, Othmani succeeded Abdelilah Benkirane and led a coalition including the Istiqlal Party, National Rally of Independents, and the Popular Movement (Morocco). His government faced the challenges of implementing reforms stemming from the 2011 Moroccan constitutional referendum and balancing pressures from civil society groups such as February 20 Movement, labor unions like the General Union of Moroccan Workers, and business federations including the Confédération Générale des Entreprises du Maroc. Othmani presided over responses to crises involving regional actors like Algeria, disputes over the Western Sahara, and relations with partners such as France, Spain, United States, and European Union.
Othmani's administration prioritized measures touching taxation, social protection, and public investment tied to programs promoted by King Mohammed VI and negotiated with institutions such as the African Development Bank, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund. Reforms included adjustments to subsidy policies affecting sectors like energy and fuel, initiatives in health sector financing linked to Ministry of Health (Morocco), and efforts to reform higher education with input from Mohammed V University and industrial stakeholders such as the Confédération Générale des Entreprises du Maroc. His premiership engaged with social debates involving organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Moroccan human rights bodies over issues of judicial reform, press freedoms involving outlets such as TelQuel and Le Matin, and labor disputes involving the Democratic Confederation of Labour.
Othmani's foreign policy navigated longstanding dossiers including the status of the Western Sahara and relations with Algeria and diplomatic ties with countries including United States, Russia, China, France, Spain, Germany, and members of the European Union. He worked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Morocco) and envoys to reinforce Morocco's role in the African Union and to expand partnerships via agreements with states such as Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mauritania, and Gambia. His government hosted delegations from United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara-related entities, participated in COP climate discussions, and engaged with multilateral security dialogues involving NATO partners and counterterrorism cooperation with Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.
Othmani's tenure was marked by criticism from opposition parties including Istiqlal Party factions, activists from Hirak Rif Movement, and civic groups like Transparency Maroc over alleged shortcomings in delivering promised economic reforms, unemployment trends in regions such as Rif, and management of COVID-19 pandemic measures involving Ministry of Health (Morocco). His coalition faced scrutiny over appointments suspected of cronyism tied to notable business figures and debates over freedom of expression involving journalists associated with TelQuel and Hespress. International NGOs such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International raised concerns regarding judicial independence and migrant rights involving flows from Sub-Saharan Africa.
A trained psychiatrist, Othmani authored articles and participated in conferences on mental health, medical ethics, and public policy, contributing to journals circulated among institutions like Mohammed V University and conferences organized by World Health Organization regional offices. He has been involved in philanthropic and cultural initiatives associated with foundations linked to King Mohammed VI, and maintains personal ties to academic networks across France, Spain, and Tunisia. His publications reflect intersections of medical practice, Islamic thought, and public administration, engaging with works by scholars such as Abu Hamid al-Ghazali and contemporary authors in Moroccan political science.
Category:1956 births Category:Prime Ministers of Morocco Category:Moroccan politicians Category:People from Agadir