Key facts
- Moroccan voters will choose from 27 parties in Wednesday's parliamentary elections.
- Sixty thousand people crossed from Morocco to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in late July.
- Youth unemployment in Morocco reached 37.3% last year.
- Fouzi Lekjaa, head of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, is campaigning for the Party of Authenticity and Modernity (Pam).
- The Justice and Development Party (PJD) is campaigning on ending diplomatic ties with Israel.
- Israel and Morocco agreed to open full embassies earlier this month.
Moroccan voters are heading to the polls for parliamentary elections on Wednesday, with candidates from 27 parties vying for 395 seats in the House of Representatives. The election comes amid widespread disillusionment among young people, who feel disconnected from the political scene and face limited opportunities.
Campaigns have focused on viral football slogans, promises of job creation, and anti-Israel sentiment. Fouzi Lekjaa, head of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, has emerged as a popular figure, campaigning for the centrist Party of Authenticity and Modernity (Pam) with promises to improve education and healthcare. Meanwhile, the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), led by former Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane, is campaigning on ending diplomatic ties with Israel, which were normalized in December 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords.
The outcome of the vote will determine the next government, with executive power remaining closely tied to the crown. King Mohammed VI appoints the prime minister and presides over the Council of Ministers. Recent protests over unemployment, healthcare, and living costs have highlighted the challenges faced by young Moroccans, with youth unemployment reaching 37.3% last year. Some activists, like Hamza El Kharroubi, are entering politics to advocate for change, while others, like environmental activist Siham Azeroual, remain skeptical about the electoral process but plan to vote.
The migration of some 60,000 people to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in late July, which resulted in at least 100 deaths, has underscored the economic hardships driving many to seek opportunities abroad. Political expert Rachid Aourraz expressed skepticism about promises of creating one million jobs, calling it an overused electoral slogan.