Moroccans Vote in Parliamentary Elections Amid Economic Discontent
Moroccans voted in parliamentary elections on Wednesday amid youth frustration over economic inequality and high unemployment, with the next government set to oversee preparations for the 2030 World Cup.
Moroccan voters went to the polls on Wednesday for parliamentary elections held amid widespread frustration among millions of young people over stark economic inequality. Despite a growing economy, Morocco suffers from an unemployment rate of 12.7%, skyrocketing to 37% among youth aged 15 to 24. This discontent fueled Gen Z protests last year and a mass surge of thousands of youths into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in July.
The 'World Cup Government'
As a constitutional monarchy headed by King Mohammed VI, who retains vast powers over foreign and security policy, the election results will not radically alter the balance of power in Rabat. However, the incoming government will manage daily affairs for the nation of 39 million and oversee a massive $20 billion infrastructure development plan ahead of co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
According to the 2011 constitution, the king must appoint a prime minister from the winning party in the 395-seat parliament. While voter registration dropped 12% to 15.8 million, twenty-six parties are competing. Major ruling coalition parties, such as the National Rally of Independents (RNI) and the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), have pledged to create one million jobs.
"I don't care about politics or elections, and I don't want to care," said Ayoub Lasli, a lifeguard from Casablanca who swam to Ceuta.
Potential Successors and Controversies
Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch stepped down from leading the RNI earlier this year. Potential successors include Fouzi Lekjaa, minister for the budget and head of Morocco's football federation, and Fatima-Zahra Mansouri, the 50-year-old mayor of Marrakech. Meanwhile, the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), led by former Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane, based much of its campaign on criticizing Morocco's 2020 normalization of relations with Israel.
