logo
The Makhzen Complex: A Psychoanalytical Decoding of Algeria's Obsession with Morocco

The Makhzen Complex: A Psychoanalytical Decoding of Algeria's Obsession with Morocco

Morocco Worlda day ago
The Makhzen is often misunderstood outside Morocco, particularly by its detractors. For Moroccans, Makhzen is not simply a bureaucratic machine or a relic of feudalism—as often caricatured by outsiders—but a deep-rooted, historically evolved system of governance and social cohesion. It refers to the network of traditional authority centered around the monarchy, which includes tribal leaders, dignitaries, religious scholars, and local notables who have historically played a vital role in maintaining unity, mediation, and legitimacy in a diverse and vast territory.
What is the Makhzen for Moroccans?
Rather than a rigid apparatus, the Makhzen has proven highly adaptive, absorbing modern institutions while maintaining continuity with Morocco's political culture. It embodies continuity, stability, and a sense of identity. It is this very institution—understood not just as state power but as a symbolic and cultural center—that has ensured Morocco's survival through colonialism, independence, modernization, and the present regional turmoil.
Why Algerian propagandists are obsessed with the Makhzen – A Psychoanalytical Analysis
From a psychoanalytical standpoint, the Algerian regime's pathological obsession with the Makhzen can be seen as a textbook case of projective identification and narcissistic injury. Let us break this down: The Makhzen as the 'Symbolic Father'
In Lacanian psychoanalysis, the Name-of-the-Father (Nom-du-Père) represents the symbolic law that gives structure to desire, order, and identity. The Makhzen, in the Moroccan imaginary, plays that role: it structures the symbolic order of the nation. Algeria, born in revolutionary rupture, lacks this deep-rooted symbolic continuity. Its political order is haunted by the absence of a legitimized paternal figure—there is no equivalent of a unifying monarchy. Hence, the Makhzen becomes a fantasmatic Other, a projection screen for everything the Algerian regime unconsciously feels it lacks: rootedness, continuity, legitimacy.
The Algerian regime splits the world into 'us' (revolutionary, secular, virtuous) and 'them' (reactionary, monarchical, manipulative). The Makhzen is turned into a bogeyman—blamed for every social unrest, regional loss of influence, or diplomatic failure. This is pure projection—a mechanism where internal conflicts are externalized and ascribed to the Other. Instead of confronting its own deep crises—economic failure, youth unrest, military domination—the regime externalizes blame onto Morocco and its governing model. Narcissistic Wound and Envy
Morocco's stability, global alliances, economic diversification, and successful royal diplomacy expose the failures of Algeria's military oligarchy. This produces what Freud would call a narcissistic injury. Rather than admit internal decay, the Algerian state apparatus creates a paranoid fantasy of the Makhzen as a monstrous manipulator controlling Africa, Europe, and even Algerian dissent. This obsessive narrative masks envy—a desire to possess what the Other has, accompanied by hatred because one cannot. Fixation and Compulsion to Repeat
Algeria's state media and officials mention 'le Makhzen' more than they mention their own institutions. This is a fixation—a psychic knot that cannot be worked through. In psychoanalytic terms, their discourse is a compulsion to repeat—the repetition of the same accusatory tropes against the Makhzen reveals an inability to symbolically resolve their own political trauma, namely the betrayal of the revolutionary dream by the generals who hijacked power. Unconscious Admiration and Identification
Lastly, there is repressed identification. The Algerian state, beneath its hostile rhetoric, secretly admires the symbolic power and international legitimacy of the Moroccan monarchy and its state apparatus. But since this admiration cannot be consciously admitted—given their foundational opposition to monarchy—it returns in the distorted form of obsession, attack, and paranoia. This is the return of the repressed.
Conclusion: The Makhzen as Mirror and Threat
For Algerian elites, the Makhzen is both a mirror—reflecting what they lack—and a threat—exposing the fragility of their power. Psychoanalysis teaches us that what we hate most is often what we unconsciously resemble or desire. In this sense, the anti-Makhzen hysteria is not just political—it is a deep-seated neurotic symptom of an unresolved postcolonial crisis in Algerian statehood.
By invoking the Makhzen obsessively, the Algerian regime unwittingly confirms its own identity crisis—rootless, brittle, and haunted by the authority it cannot emulate and the legitimacy it never fully acquired. Tags: algeria abd moroccoalgeria and human rights
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Mauritanian and Algerian armies meet in Tindouf after Polisario attacks on Es-Smara
Mauritanian and Algerian armies meet in Tindouf after Polisario attacks on Es-Smara

Ya Biladi

time5 hours ago

  • Ya Biladi

Mauritanian and Algerian armies meet in Tindouf after Polisario attacks on Es-Smara

A few days after the Polisario's rocket attacks on Es-Smara, a Mauritanian army delegation traveled to Tindouf to meet with Algerian military officials. Officially, the June 30 meeting aimed to «assess the security situation along the shared border during the first half of 2025», according to a statement from the Mauritanian army. Discussions also focused on measures to «strengthen coordination between border units, activate joint intelligence efforts to combat terrorism, smuggling, illegal immigration, and unauthorized gold prospecting, and ensure the security of Algerian companies working on the road project linking Tindouf to Zouerate», the statement added. The meeting came just three days after the Polisario launched projectiles on June 27 targeting civilian areas in Es-Smara, including a MINURSO site. As in previous incidents, Polisario fighters reportedly crossed into Mauritanian territory, specifically the Lebriga region bordering Tindouf, before firing missiles at Moroccan positions. Back in May, the Mauritanian government had already announced the closure of the Lebriga area, citing domestic security concerns. «This is a sovereign security policy aimed at controlling border crossings and securing national territory», stated Houssein Ould Meddou, Minister of Culture, Arts, Communication, and Relations with Parliament, and government spokesperson. «This measure has no political significance and is not directed at any specific party. It is part of a consistent state policy to protect national sovereignty», he added. In recent weeks, the Lebriga region has seen rising tensions involving Mauritanian and Algerian troops, as well as Polisario militias. Mauritania is seeking a stronger commitment from Algeria to help secure the area.

Morocco praises Egypt's commitment to human rights during UN review
Morocco praises Egypt's commitment to human rights during UN review

Ya Biladi

time11 hours ago

  • Ya Biladi

Morocco praises Egypt's commitment to human rights during UN review

On the sidelines of the 59th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Morocco praised Egypt's commitment to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, a UN mechanism that enables regular assessments of the human rights situation in each member state. Moroccan diplomats particularly welcomed Egypt's acceptance of several of Morocco's recommendations, according to an official statement. These proposals addressed key issues such as promoting more open dialogue with UN experts, raising awareness—especially in rural areas—about the values of tolerance and respect for religious diversity, and reforming the criminal justice system to limit the systematic use of pre-trial detention. Following the exchange, Morocco reaffirmed its support for the adoption of Egypt's final UPR report and wished the Egyptian authorities success in implementing their commitments.

Peruvian MPs Explore Development Progress in Dakhla Oued-Eddahab
Peruvian MPs Explore Development Progress in Dakhla Oued-Eddahab

Maroc

time11 hours ago

  • Maroc

Peruvian MPs Explore Development Progress in Dakhla Oued-Eddahab

A Peruvian parliamentary delegation paid a visit to Dakhla on Tuesday to learn about the development momentum in the region across various areas. The visit of the Peruvian delegation, led by the Speaker of Peruvian Congress Eduardo Salhuana Cavides, was an opportunity to discover the region's potential and infrastructure in various economic and social sectors. In a statement to the press, Salhuana Cavides said that the visit to Dakhla was part of a business trip to Morocco (from June, 29 to July, 6), aimed at sharing experiences, particularly in legislative matters and public affairs management, praising the institutional, political, and economic stability the Kingdom enjoys under HM King Mohammed VI's wise leadership. "We had the opportunity to witness firsthand the large-scale projects, particularly in infrastructure and road networks, designed to drive Morocco's development and prosperity as the country prepares to co-host the 2030 World Cup and continues to strengthen its prominent position on the international stage." Regarding the Kingdom's territorial integrity, Salhuana Cavides recalled that the Peruvian Parliament adopted, at the beginning of last month by a majority of MPs, a petition addressed to the government in support of Morocco's sovereignty over its Sahara and its autonomy plan. "Peruvian MPs consider the Moroccan autonomy plan as a solution for a definitive settlement of the long-runnin, artificial dispute," he stated. MAP: 02 July 2025

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store