Mohammed VI, King of Morocco, has named his son, the heir apparent Moulay Hassan, as Supreme Chief and Head of the General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), as well as Coordinator of the Offices and Services of the General Staff. At just 20 years old, the young man who will one day be king of the largest and most stable Arab monarchy in North Africa has officially entered the structure that, in Morocco, practically defines power - the army.

The logic of the move is diplomatically wrapped but politically clear. Mohammed VI, who was himself groomed for decades before succeeding his father Hassan II, is now building the same ground for his son. The transition is being built. It isn't a question of whether - but when. And when this happens in a country that holds positions in Western Sahara, in the Sahel crises and is part of one of the largest trade routes between Africa and Europe, every move within the royal house is also geopolitics.

Moulay Hassan isn't a newcomer. From his youth he has taken part in official ceremonies and stood in for his father on international stages. He was educated at the Royal College in Rabat and through aeronautical training - a detail that is no accident in a country investing in its armed forces and defence industry. On top of that, he recently opened the Mohammed VI Tower, one of the most emblematic projects of the current king. The symbolism is heavy - father and son cut the ribbon together, and the lever they're handing over passes slowly.

For the Balkan reader, the question is framed differently. If a monarchy in our region tried the same „decades-of-preparation handover" model - which political structure would tolerate it? Morocco, with all its contradictions, has managed to build something that is impossible in Europe - the heir learns in service, at work, in the army, even before being confirmed on the throne. It's a model that is rarely repeated - but one that rests on deep investments in the structure.

The question being asked in Rabat is one - when. The question being asked in Brussels and Paris is another - will the next king of Morocco hold the balance between the West and Africa, or change course. There's no answer yet, but the move of this day says something clear - the time for preparation isn't endless.