On 19 November 2025, an international seminar dedicated to Moroccan constitutionalism in the 21st century was held at the Rectorate of Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski. The event was initiated by the Department of Arabic and Semitic Studies, Faculty of Classical and Modern Philology, Sofia University, in partnership with Gallup International Balkan’s Center for Constitutionalism and Democracy.
The seminar was chaired by Professor Simeon Evstatiev, Head of the Department of Arabic and Semitic Studies, who opened the seminar by highlighting the significance of the topic for understanding the dynamic processes in the contemporary Arab world, in which the Kingdom of Morocco plays a key role.
A welcome address on behalf of the Rector Professor Georgi Valchev was delivered by the Vice-Rector Professor Madeleine Danova. She expressed her satisfaction that the Department of Arabic and Semitic Studies is hosting this important seminar which closely aligns with the in-depth study of Moroccan society and culture.
“Interculturalism is absolutely essential for understanding the Other,” Professor Danova emphasized, “and I am therefore delighted that this international seminar opens yet another door in that direction.”
H.E. Mrs. Zakia El Midaoui, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Morocco and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in the Republic of Bulgaria, addressed the audience with the following words: “First, allow me to express my sincere gratitude to Sofia University, a leading institution in the Bulgarian academic landscape, whose influence extends far beyond the borders of this country. I would particularly like to commend the Department of Arabic and Semitic Studies, under the leadership of Professor Simeon Evstatiev, for its unwavering commitment to fostering mutual understanding between our regions and strengthening academic ties between Bulgaria and the Arab world.” She further expressed her gratitude to Gallup International Balkan’s Center for Constitutionalism and Democracy and its Director, Professor Georgi Bliznashki, an eminent constitutionalist and former prime minister.
In her speech, Ambassador El Midaoui emphasized that the themes included in the seminar are of paramount importance for the socio-political life of the Kingdom of Morocco. She underlined that the Moroccan model is distinguished by its centuries-old roots, combining historical and institutional maturity, attachment to the monarchy, and a progressive embrace of universal democratic values. “For several decades,” Ambassador El Midaoui stressed, “the Kingdom has been engaged in a gradual, profound, and irreversible process of consolidating the rule of law, strengthening institutions, and expanding civil liberties.”
Professor Gergana Petkova, Dean of the Faculty of Classical and Modern Philology, welcomed the participants and expressed her satisfaction that, alongside its academic dimensions, the forum contributes unambiguously to intercultural dialogue and the building of bridges between peoples and civilizations – one of the Faculty’s core priorities.
“The Department of Arabic and Semitic Studies,” Professor Petkova underscored, “is precisely the place where one can learn more about Morocco – such an important country in the entire region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).”
Professor Simeon Evstatiev delivered a paper entitled “Morocco in the Modern Arab World: Contextualizing Constitutionalism in the 21st Century.” He outlined the role of Morocco as a key state in the MENA region, most of which, both geographically and demographically, is part of the Arab world. “The distinctive features of Morocco,” Professor Evstatiev emphasized, “derive from the longevity and resilience of the Alaouite dynasty, which has ruled the country since the mid-17th century, from the country’s complex Arab-Amazigh identity, and from its multi-vector orientation toward both the Mediterranean and Africa.”
Professor Evstatiev described the upheavals of the 2011 Arab Spring as a watershed moment in the region, yet Morocco took a path different from that of other MENA states marked by demonstrations and unrest. Instead, Morocco chose another way – to publicly articulate and constitutionally elaborate on the diverse components of Moroccan identity. “Today,” Prof. Evstatiev noted, “it can be stated even more clearly that Moroccan identity encompasses not only Arab and Muslim dimensions, but also Amazigh, African, and integral Hebraic components, reflecting the historical role of the country’s Jewish population.”
According to Professor Evstatiev, contemporary Moroccan constitutionalism reflects a balance that distinguishes this country: an equilibrium between continuity, ensured by the stability of the monarchy and the pragmatic approach of King Mohammed VI, and modernizing reforms visible in the expansion of rights, recognition of cultural and linguistic diversity, increasing autonomy of the judiciary, and the strengthening of civil society.
Associate Professor Jacine Tanane from Ibn Tofail University in Kenitra (Morocco), presented a paper under the title “The 2011 Constitution of the Kingdom of Morocco: Changes in Moroccan Constitutional Culture.” He offered a historical overview of modern Moroccan constitutionalism beginning in 1908, identifying the period of the French Protectorate (1912–1956) as a time of stagnation in this respect, given that then “there were neither constitutional reforms nor draft constitutions.”
Against this background, Associate Professor Tanane delineated the chronology of the six constitutions adopted in Morocco since 1956: in 1962, 1970, 1972, 1992, 1996, and 2011.
He explained specific aspects of the current constitution, highlighting the social and historical context of its adoption in response to bottom-up demands raised on 20 February 2011 as part of the Arab Spring movement in North Africa and the Middle East. He emphasized the role of the 2011 Constitution, adopted on 1 July 2011, as indicative of Morocco’s irreversible choice of democratic rule of law. Associate Professor Tanane outlined the constitution’s innovative features, including the notion of Morocco as a constitutional, democratic, parliamentary, and social monarchy, as well as measures for the protection of human rights and gender equality.
Dr. Stoyan Doklev, Assistant Professor at the Department of Arabic and Semitic Studies, delivered a paper on “Religion and National Identity in the 2011 Moroccan Constitution.” He examined the various ethno-cultural and religious dimensions of Moroccan national identity.
Dr. Doklev underlined that Moroccan identity remains fundamentally Arab and Muslim, but it is also Berber (Amazigh), Sahrawi, and African – a diversity that is part of Morocco’s unique character, reflected in its 2011 Constitution. As the translator of the Moroccan Constitution from Arabic into Bulgarian, he also highlighted several specific concepts embedded in the document.
Professor Georgi Bliznashki, a specialist in constitutional law and Director of the Center for Constitutionalism and Democracy at Gallup International Balkan, spoke on the topic “The 2011 Moroccan Constitution: Tradition and Modernity.” He offered a high assessment of the 2011 Constitution in light of contemporary standards related to the separation of powers, the status of political parties, and civil society. As a constitutional scholar with experience in political governance, whose personal path has been connected with Morocco, he highlighted the principles of good governance embedded in the current Moroccan Constitution, thereby bringing to the fore the balance between tradition and modernity in the Kingdom.
Professor Bliznashki also spoke about his work on the editorial preparation of the Bulgarian edition of the Constitution, carried out by Dr. Doklev, expressing his satisfaction with the high quality of the book published by Sofia University Press.
At the conclusion of the seminar, the book The Constitution of the Kingdom of Morocco (Sofia: Sofia University Press “St. Kliment Ohridski,” 2025) was presented. It contains the first academic edition of a constitution of an Arab state translated into Bulgarian.
The event attracted considerable interest, with Lecture Hall 243 at full capacity attended by academics, ambassadors and diplomats, journalists, and students of Arabic Studies, Law, and related fields with an interest in the Middle East and North Africa.
The international seminar also drew the attention of the national media. On 20 November 2025, the Moroccan speaker Associate Professor Jacine Tanane was a guest on the talk show “The World and Us”, Bulgarian National Television.