Moroccan Election Campaign Focuses on Youth Disillusionment, Football, and Israel
Ahead of parliamentary elections, parties are employing diverse strategies, from viral football slogans to anti-Israel rhetoric, to engage a young population grappling with economic hardship.
Morocco's upcoming parliamentary elections see political parties vying for votes with a range of campaign tactics, including appeals to nationalistic pride through football, promises of job creation, and strong stances on relations with Israel. These strategies aim to capture the attention of a disillusioned youth population facing economic challenges, highlighted by a recent surge in migration attempts to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
The country operates as a constitutional monarchy where the King appoints the prime minister from the leading party, but significant executive power remains with the monarch. This electoral cycle follows a period of Gen Z protests in late 2025 concerning unemployment, healthcare, and the cost of living. Despite a crackdown on demonstrators, some young activists are entering the political fray.
One such candidate is Hamza El Kharroubi, 29, running with the Environment and Sustainable Development Party. El Kharroubi, who was briefly arrested during recent protests, aims to advocate for the families of those who died attempting to cross to Ceuta, linking the perilous journeys to a lack of domestic opportunities. Official figures from the International Monetary Fund indicate that while overall unemployment was 13% last year, youth unemployment reached 37.3%.
Fouzi Lekjaa, head of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and a senior figure in the finance ministry, has become a prominent campaigner for the centrist Party of Authenticity and Modernity (Pam). His rallies have gained traction online, leveraging the popularity of the national football team, the Atlas Lions, which reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup. Lekjaa has pledged to elevate Morocco's standing in education and healthcare to match the national team's FIFA ranking.
Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch's National Rally of Independents (RNI) is seeking re-election with a renewed promise to create one million jobs by 2031. However, political analysts express skepticism about the feasibility of such pledges, noting that major parties tend to focus on implementing policies aligned with royal directives rather than proposing fundamentally different economic models.
The Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), led by former Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane, is campaigning on a platform that includes ending diplomatic ties with Israel. Morocco normalized relations with Israel in December 2020 under the Abraham Accords. Despite public protests against the normalization, particularly during the Gaza conflict, Morocco and Israel have recently agreed to establish full embassies. Benkirane has urged the King to sever ties with Israel, arguing that normalization was a mistake.
Morocco's population is predominantly young, with over half under 35. However, the proportion of registered voters aged 18 to 24 is small. Many young Moroccans, including those in the diaspora, have expressed frustration with the political landscape. While some see potential in increased youth representation on state media following recent protests, others, like environmental activist Siham Azeroual, advocate for grassroots community building as a more effective path to change than immediate electoral office.
Despite lingering disillusionment, many, including Azeroual, intend to vote, seeing it as a necessary step in influencing the political process, even if incremental change is expected.