Morocco's PAM Wins Legislative Election With 97 Seats as Turnout Falls to 38%

Election results and parliamentary shift

Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit announced provisional results on Thursday morning following the 23 September vote for the 395-seat Chamber of Representatives. The centrist Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) placed first with 97 seats, overtaking its governing coalition partner, the National Rally of Independents (RNI), which dropped to 66 seats after securing 102 in 2021. The conservative Istiqlal Party retained third place with 65 seats, while the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) rebounded to 54 seats after winning 13 in the previous election. Smaller parties secured the remaining seats, led by the Popular Movement with 29, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces with 26, the Party of Progress and Socialism with 19, and the Constitutional Union with 17. The Democratic and Social Movement and the Left Alliance each took eight seats, the Democratic Forces Front and the Equity Party won two seats each, and two single seats went to the Neo-Democrats and the Unity and Democracy Party. Morocco distributes parliamentary seats based on registered voters rather than valid ballots, which prevents single-party majorities and encourages coalition governance.

Voter turnout and regional patterns

Voter participation fell to 38.08%, representing the lowest turnout in a Moroccan legislative election since 2007, when participation reached 37.12%. Turnout dropped sharply compared to the 50.88% recorded in 2021 and the 42.27% seen in 2016. Approximately six million of the 15.8 million registered voters cast ballots across more than 40,000 polling stations, drawn from a broader eligible voting population of 27 million. In contrast to lower engagement in northern and urban areas, southern provinces recorded high participation, with turnout reaching 77% in Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra and 65.42% in Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab. The election featured 28 political parties and over 7,200 candidates, including 2,659 women (37% of total candidacies) and 120 female heads of local party lists. More than 3,000 accredited observers monitored the process, including 200 representatives from international institutions and non-governmental organisations.

Economic discontent and 2030 World Cup debate

The low voter turnout coincided with persistent economic pressures, elevated youth unemployment, and public discontent over living costs. Dissatisfaction had previously prompted youth demonstrations and the late July border crisis, in which tens of thousands of young people attempted to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Public debate during the campaign addressed government spending on preparations for the 2030 World Cup, co-hosted with Spain and Portugal, alongside funding needs in social services. The PJD framed its campaign around anti-corruption efforts following its decade heading the executive from 2011 to 2021. Writing for the Arab Reform Initiative, independent researcher Lamia Elfehaim examined public perception of these infrastructure budgets.

The bet on the 2030 World Cup is costly, and the sums invested for this event are judged by part of the population to be out of step with the kingdom's socio-territorial priorities: failing public services, rural isolation, and high unemployment.

Coalition talks and government leadership

Under the Moroccan constitution, King Mohammed VI must appoint a prime minister from the winning party, PAM, to form a five-year coalition administration. The party was founded in 2008 by royal adviser and former minister Fouad Ali El Himma to provide a counterweight to Islamist political forces. Outgoing Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, a businessman who led the RNI-headed coalition since 2021, faced declining public popularity during his term. Local media analysts expect the three previous governing partners (PAM, RNI, and Istiqlal) to negotiate a renewed tripartite alliance under PAM leadership. Two figures have emerged as potential candidates for prime minister: Minister of National Territory Planning Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, who would become the Arab region's second female prime minister, and Budget Minister Fouzi Lekjaa, who also serves as president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.