Trade unions demand Akhannouch withdraws the bill to reorganize the National Press Council
Several trade unions and professional organizations have sent an open letter to the Moroccan Prime Minister expressing their dissatisfaction with the passing of Bill No. 26.25, which aims to reorganize the National Press Council. This comes after the bill was submitted to the House of Councillors and presented to the Committee on Education, Cultural Affairs, and Social Affairs on Monday, September 9, 2025, following a quick endorsement by the House of Representatives.
The letter stated that the bill faced near-total rejection from trade union and journalism bodies, along with human rights organizations and civil society, arguing that passing it without consensus from professionals constitutes a violation of the principle of dialogue and consultation as outlined in the rules for self-regulation of the sector.
The signatory organizations added that the bill is contrary to the constitution and the provisions of the Press and Publication Code. It imposes conflicting representation models within the Council and an individual voting system that fails to achieve fair representation, granting excessive influence to large publishers at the expense of small and medium-sized media institutions. They also expressed that the bill adopts a regulatory approach that could undermine press independence and restrict its freedom, contradicting Morocco’s constitutional and international obligations regarding trade union and professional freedoms.
The letter urged the Prime Minister to intervene urgently to withdraw the bill from the House of Councillors and return it to the sectoral social dialogue table, re-negotiating and reaching consensus based on Article 78 of the constitution, to ensure the legitimacy and credibility of the bill in the eyes of journalists, publishers, and professionals.
The letter was signed by: Abdelkabir Khashyshin (President of the National Union of Moroccan Journalists), Mouhitt Rqass (President of the Moroccan Federation of Newspaper Publishers), Mohamed El Wafi (President of the National Union of Journalism, Media, and Communication), Abdellah Hattabi (Secretary-General of the National Union of Media and Journalism), and Abdelwafi Harraq (President of the Moroccan Confederation of Newspaper Publishers and Electronic Media).
