Morocco is accepted into the EU

Let's say that Morocco was accepted into the EU, when it applied in 1987. What would Morocco, and the EU, be like now? Would Morocco have reached first world status?
 
Well the EU didn't exist in 1987 IIRC and well and I doubt it could have reach first world status if it somehow manage (maybe improve) plus there the whole shebang with Western Sahara which would make raise issue
 
A few issues... first of all, the EU was still the European Community back then (it became only the EU with the Treaty of Maastricht in 1993), second, Morocco was recejected on the ground that it wasn't a European country. Otherwise, I admit I wanted to suggest this POD/question for quite a while but didn't get around to it... :(

In regard for helping Morocco's development, depends. Perhaps, yes it would help advancing it, but OTOH it's more likely OTOH that Morocco would drain a lot of the EU's resources and impair the EU's overall strength. Aslo, for cultural reasons I can see this impairing further integration of the European Union into a closer block like it's been happening (with some setbacks) in OTL. OTOH, I think that this would greatly advance the chances of partially- and non-European countries trying to join the EU. Specifically I'm thinking of Turkey and the nations of the Transcaucasus.
 
Yeh. I kinda messed up there. EEC not EU.

Well, I am guessing the the EU would be alot less integrated, but alot bigger.
 

Sargon

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I welcome Morocco into the EU (former Roman territory after all, and that's good enough qualification for me).

Seriously, if it was in, then it might have had a positive effect in terms of better relations with other countries in North Africa, and greater influence in the area. It would be shown that the EU is not a 'white & Christian only' club in terms of the dominant cultural and racial nature of the member states.

Still, there are other issues that might not be so easy and beneficial.


Sargon
 
Is there any chance that some European country would cede a square centimeter of land to Morocco to make it European?
 
Is there any chance that some European country would cede a square centimeter of land to Morocco to make it European?

As i said before the main reason Morocco was not allowed,is the fact that it was and is a semi-absolutist monarchy,Cyprus is also not in Europe and was allowed.
 
As i said before the main reason Morocco was not allowed,is the fact that it was and is a semi-absolutist monarchy,Cyprus is also not in Europe and was allowed.

Precisely. For this scenario to be realistic, Morocco has to liberalise to a great extent. As in, democracy, free speech, open markets...

...which is, in itself, a good POD, for what it would represent to the Muslim world. If Morocco develops into a Westminster-style parliamentary democracy (I know absolutely nothing about Morocco, so can anyone suggest a turning point?), then the 'Moroccan model' could become a point for the democratic transformation of the region, or at least an idealised form of what Arab democracies could be. Like Iraq was...meant to be.
 
Yes, the whole Western Sahara issue, plus the fact that Algeria is going to be VERY pissed. Roman territory is BS :rolleyes:. And yes, up until a few years ago the country's governtment was corrupt and absolutist...
EDIT: BlackMage, that optimism amuses me. Why would Algeria, Libya, or Mauritania suddenly say "Oh look, Moroccco is doing it, let's go copy them!!" Morocco's neighbors hate Morocco, and while they are ore liberal than Moroco now, I can'yt see them copying their enemy. Did Nazi Germany suddenly make France Fascist? No. Or Repubican France and Germany?
 

Sargon

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As i said before the main reason Morocco was not allowed,is the fact that it was and is a semi-absolutist monarchy,Cyprus is also not in Europe and was allowed.

And Liechtenstein isn't? The constitution there was recently changed to allow the Grand Duke such powers as he is virtually an absolute monarch. He threatened to quit the country if the vote wasn't passed. The country has received several invites to join the EU, but has turned them all down.


Sargon
 
And Liechtenstein isn't? The constitution there was recently changed to allow the Grand Duke such powers as he is virtually an absolute monarch. He threatened to quit the country if the vote wasn't passed. The country has received several invites to join the EU, but has turned them all down.


Sargon

So if he can dissolve the parliament he's a despot and Lichtenstein is ruled by Prince not a Grand Duke.
 

Sargon

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So if he can dissolve the parliament he's a despot and Lichtenstein is ruled by Prince not a Grand Duke.

Still not very democratic though, ne c'est pas?

Yes, you are quite right, Prince.

Still if the EU have no trouble with him, then they should have little trouble with other such states. Or perhaps they are just hypocrites.


Sargon
 
Still not very democratic though, ne c'est pas?

Yes, you are quite right, Prince.

Still if the EU have no trouble with him, then they should have little trouble with other such states. Or perhaps they are just hypocrites.


Sargon

The President of France can also dissolve the parliament and nobody calls for France to be kicked out.
Read this, in order to see the extent of authoritarianism in Morocco
 
EDIT: BlackMage, that optimism amuses me. Why would Algeria, Libya, or Mauritania suddenly say "Oh look, Moroccco is doing it, let's go copy them!!" Morocco's neighbors hate Morocco, and while they are ore liberal than Moroco now, I can'yt see them copying their enemy. Did Nazi Germany suddenly make France Fascist? No. Or Repubican France and Germany?

They weren't who I was aiming for; instead, Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, who have superficially similar constitutions to Morocco.

If Morocco can prove a reasonably stable democracy, it may serve as an example to liberals within the region -- even those who 'hate Morocco' in OTL. In the same sense, in your terms, as Nazi Germany empowered Action Francaise and fascist movements within France -- or how Republican ideals from within France served to influence liberal thought throughout Europe. The problem with your analogy is that, in a limited sense, it in fact happened.
 
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