oluwatosin oyeniyi RABAT, Morocco — Morocco is entering a new political phase after Wednesday’s parliamentary election, with provisional results giving the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) the largest number of seats but a historically low voter turnout highlighting a deeper challenge: reconnecting citizens with formal politics.
Turnout stood at 38.02 percent, down sharply from 50.18 percent in 2021 and the lowest level recorded since 2007. Of the roughly 16 million registered voters, fewer than four in 10 cast ballots.
The results give PAM 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives, followed by the National Rally of Independents (RNI) with 66 and Istiqlal with 65. The Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), meanwhile, recovered significantly from its 2021 performance, winning 54 seats compared with 13 five years ago.
The numbers now shift attention from campaigning to governing and to whether the next government can respond to the concerns that have increasingly shaped public debate.
Low turnout raises questions about political participation
The 38 percent turnout is one of the clearest signals from the election.
Morocco has experienced growing concern over political disengagement, particularly among younger citizens. Before the election, only about four percent of registered voters were aged between 18 and 24, while people aged 60 and above accounted for more than 29 percent of the electorate.
That demographic imbalance matters because Morocco’s younger population has been at the centre of demands for better economic opportunities and public services.
The low participation does not, by itself, establish why individual citizens stayed away from the polls. But it comes after youth-led protests in 2025 over unemployment, healthcare, education and political accountability, giving the turnout figures added significance.
For political parties, the challenge is therefore not simply winning seats. It is persuading a broader section of the population that electoral politics can produce tangible improvements.
Voters want economic pressures addressed
Public reactions after the election have focused heavily on everyday economic concerns.
Some voters called on the incoming government to address rising prices, unemployment and pressure on public services. The demands echo issues raised during last year’s youth protests, when demonstrators questioned the gap between Morocco’s major economic and infrastructure investments and the quality of services available to ordinary citizens.
Youth unemployment remains particularly significant. The unemployment rate among Moroccans aged 15 to 24 reached 37 percent in 2025, according to reporting ahead of the election.
This creates a difficult policy environment for the incoming government. Morocco has recorded economic growth and attracted substantial investment, while simultaneously facing concerns about whether that growth is creating enough jobs and reaching communities outside the country’s major economic centres.
A new parliamentary balance
PAM’s 97 seats put it ahead of the RNI and Istiqlal, its partners in the outgoing governing coalition. However, no party came close to the 198 seats required for a majority, meaning coalition negotiations will determine the shape of the next government.
The PJD’s return to 54 seats also changes the parliamentary landscape after its dramatic decline in 2021.
Under Morocco’s constitutional system, the king appoints the head of government from the party that wins the largest number of seats. The election therefore gives PAM the leading position in the process of forming the next administration.
The eventual coalition will inherit both the country’s economic agenda and a growing list of public expectations.
World Cup investment adds pressure
The next government will also oversee the final stages of Morocco’s preparations to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
The country is undertaking major infrastructure projects, including stadium development, high-speed rail and airport upgrades. The investment is expected to support tourism, connectivity and economic activity, but it also raises questions about priorities at a time when citizens are demanding stronger healthcare, education, employment and social protection.
The political challenge will be ensuring that large national projects are accompanied by visible improvements in household welfare.
Turning election promises into public confidence
The election has produced a clear governing task: translate political promises into measurable improvements in people’s daily lives.
That means expanding employment opportunities for young people, strengthening healthcare and education, addressing regional inequalities and protecting purchasing power. It also means making public investment more visible at community level rather than concentrating its benefits around major infrastructure projects.
Rebuilding political participation will require more than encouraging citizens to vote. Political parties will need to demonstrate that electoral mandates lead to accountability, effective public services and policies that respond to citizens’ concerns.
Morocco’s post-election debate is therefore likely to extend beyond which party controls the largest bloc in parliament.
The more difficult question is whether the new government can convince citizens, particularly younger Moroccans that political institutions can deliver the economic and social changes they have been demanding.
The low turnout has made that challenge impossible to ignore.
