Morocco's Legislative Election Campaign Kicks Off Amid Economic Inequality and Youth Political Apathy

Morocco's legislative election campaign officially launched on Thursday. According to Africanews, 27 parties are competing for 395 House of Representatives seats, with the election scheduled for September 23 — just days after the first anniversary of a youth-led protest movement. The ruling coalition is seeking to hold onto power amid voter discontent over economic and regional inequalities.

The urgency of the economic distress was concentratedly released in July through a border crisis. At that time, tens of thousands of migrants, predominantly Moroccan, poured into the neighboring Spanish enclave of Ceuta, forming a massive border-crossing wave. This incident has placed Morocco's lagging economic development and youth unemployment at the center of this election.

Nearly 16 million voters have completed voter registration, but youth aged 18 to 24 account for only about 3% of registered voters. According to analysis by the Africanews website, this generational gap reflects widespread political apathy among young people. Parties are attempting to convert these structural grievances into votes, but the generational divide itself constitutes a challenge that the campaign cannot sidestep.

Parties are mainly publishing their policy platforms via social media, but Moroccan media are sharply questioning the feasibility of their promises. The news website Le360 criticized some parties for making "dazzling financial promises," noting that while their platforms put forward attractive socioeconomic commitments, they lack clear financing plans. Political scientist Abdellah Tourabi wrote in the weekly TelQuel that this campaign lacks substantive political debate.

At the level of power structure, Morocco's political trajectory remains subject to the royal palace. Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch is appointed by the King from the party with the most votes in parliament, for a five-year term, but the King retains control over major policies. Regardless of the election outcome, the actual boundaries of executive power remain defined by the monarch.