Socio-economic and political factors of the evolution of the Arab Spring: the Case of Tunisia and Morocco

Since early 2011, when social and political uprisings set off in Tunisia began to spread to the other Arab countries, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been witnessing a turning point, the so-called “Arab Spring”. However, the unifying term “Arab Spring” conceals distinctive changes in each country, since the protests and demands for reforms have led to various levels of political changes. Different approaches to the key socio-economic challenges and attitudes towards the opposition forces have led to entirely opposite developments in each case of the Arab Spring: repressions and fall of the regime in Tunisia and swift reforms aimed at preventing further deterioration in Morocco. By analyzing and comparing the main socio-economic and political factors that have led to the demonstrations in Morocco in Tunisia, this paper aims to reveal the mistakes of Tunisian former regime and to emphasize the reforms that have helped Morocco to avoid the major upheavals. Finally, the paper will set out the current situation in both countries and evaluate the prospects by highlighting the key political and socio-economic challenges that confront Tunisia and Morocco nowadays.Key words: Morocco/ Tunisia/ Arab Spring/ Government/ Domestic policy/ Socio-economic conditions/ Reforms