Abdelilah Benkirane facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Abdelilah Benkirane
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عبد الإله بنكيران
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Benkirane in 2014
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| 15th Prime Minister of Morocco | |
| In office 29 November 2011 – 5 April 2017 |
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| Monarch | Mohammed VI |
| Preceded by | Abbas El Fassi |
| Succeeded by | Saadeddine Othmani |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 20 July 2008 – 29 November 2011 |
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| Prime Minister | Abbas El Fassi |
| Preceded by | Saadeddine Othmani |
| Succeeded by | Salaheddine Mezouar |
| Leader of the Justice and Development Party | |
| Assumed office 30 October 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Saadeddine Othmani |
| In office 20 July 2008 – 10 December 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Saadeddine Othmani |
| Succeeded by | Saadeddine Othmani |
| Member of Parliament for Salé-Médina |
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| In office 14 November 1997 – 12 April 2017 |
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| Succeeded by | Aziz Benbrahim |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rabat, Morocco |
| Political party | Justice and Development Party |
| Alma mater | Mohammed V University |
| Occupation |
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Abdelilah Benkirane (Arabic: عبد الإله بنكيران) is a Moroccan politician. He was the Prime Minister of Morocco from 2011 to 2017. His political party, the Justice and Development Party, won the most seats in the 2011 parliamentary election. After this, his party formed a government with three other parties.
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Political Journey
During the 1970s, Benkirane was active in politics. He supported both leftist and Islamist ideas. He has represented the city of Salé in the Moroccan parliament since November 14, 1997. In July 2008, he became the leader of the Justice and Development Party. He took over this role from Saadeddine Othmani.
Benkirane believes in democratic and Islamist politics. In an interview in 2011, he said that if he became part of the government, he would not tell young women what to wear. He stated that it was not his business and that no one could threaten civil liberties in Morocco. However, he has also said that secularism is "a dangerous concept for Morocco." In 2010, he tried to stop a concert in Rabat by Elton John because he felt it promoted ideas that some found controversial.
Becoming Prime Minister
Benkirane became the Prime Minister of Morocco on November 29, 2011. His government aimed to make the economy grow by 5.5 percent each year. They also wanted to lower the number of people without jobs to 8 percent by the end of 2016. When he started, the jobless rate was 9.1 percent.
Benkirane's government also worked to strengthen Morocco's connections with the European Union. The EU is Morocco's main trading partner. His government also became more involved with the six countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council.
Second Appointment and Challenges
On October 10, 2016, Benkirane was chosen again as Prime Minister. This happened after his party won the parliamentary elections once more.
On December 1, 2016, Benkirane spoke out against the Syrian government. He criticized their actions during the Syrian Civil War. He said that what the Syrian government, supported by Russia, was doing to the Syrian people was beyond all human limits.
The Justice and Development Party kept most of their seats in the 2016 Moroccan general election. However, Benkirane found it hard to form a working government. This was because of ongoing political talks. On March 15, 2017, after five months of not being able to agree, King Mohammed VI removed Benkirane as Prime Minister. The King said he would choose another leader from the Justice and Development Party. On March 17, 2017, the King chose Saadeddine Othmani to take Benkirane's place as Prime Minister.
After Being Prime Minister
On April 12, 2017, Abdelilah Benkirane left the Moroccan Parliament. He said it was because his role there was not compatible with other things. However, many in the media thought he was trying to avoid showing his views on the new head of government, Saadeddine Othmani.
On October 30, 2021, Benkirane was re-elected as the secretary-general of the PJD party. This happened after Saadeddine Othmani resigned. Othmani resigned because his party lost the 2021 Moroccan general election.
About His Life
Benkirane was born in Rabat. His family originally came from Fes. His father was interested in Sufism and Islamic ideas. His mother went to meetings of the women's group of the Istiqlal.
Benkirane enjoys playing chess and listening to music. However, he has said he is "not in favour of indecent music." His father, who passed away at 90 when Benkirane was 16, is his role model. Benkirane is married to a party activist and has six children. His youngest daughter has tetraplegia.
See also
In Spanish: Abdelilah Benkirán para niños
- Justice and Development Party
