THE EU IN MOROCCO: GRASSROOTS REFLECTIONS ON DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT AID

Abstract

This thesis investigates how Moroccan citizens perceive the European Union’s (EU) efforts to promote democracy and provide development aid in Morocco. While existing literature often emphasizes elite-level cooperation and institutional reform, this study focuses on the understudied grassroots level, exploring how ordinary citizens interpret and respond to EU initiatives. Using a qualitative research design, eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants varying in gender, age, region, and educational background. The analysis is guided by Acharya’s Norm Localisation Theory, which explains how global norms are adapted, accepted, or rejected within local contexts. Findings suggest that while most participants are aware of the EU’s presence in Morocco, detailed knowledge of its specific activities, especially the conditionality of aid, is uneven. EU development aid is largely seen as beneficial, particularly in improving education, infrastructure, and job opportunities. However, perceptions of EU democracy promotion vary significantly. Several participants view the monarchy as essential for national stability and are cautious toward reforms perceived as externally driven. Rather than outright rejection, there is a pattern of selective appropriation, where democratic values are accepted when compatible with national identity and cultural norms. The study concludes that norm acceptance in Morocco is not a linear process but is shaped by how external norms resonate with local experiences and political realities. The thesis offers empirical support for Norm Localisation Theory and calls for future EU democracy and aid strategies to better consider the cultural, religious, and political frameworks of recipient societies.