Morocco’s political parties are stepping up efforts to attract young voters ahead of the September 23 parliamentary election, with promises of jobs, affordable housing and improved living standards.
The campaigns come amid growing concerns over youth unemployment and uneven economic development, which analysts say contributed to violent protests last year and a mass attempt by migrants to cross into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
The September 23 election will be Morocco’s fourth since the 2011 Arab Spring protests, which prompted the monarchy to grant parliament greater powers before later strengthening its position.
The moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party governed the country for about a decade but suffered a major defeat in the 2021 election.
It was replaced by the National Rally of Independents, RNI, and the Authenticity and Modernity Party, PAM, both of which have links to influential figures close to the palace.
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The two parties have made youth employment a major focus of their campaigns, promising to create about one million jobs during the next parliamentary term.
They have also highlighted about 20 billion dollars in infrastructure investment ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
The parties are also using social media to reach younger voters, while campaign manifestos have placed housing, regular income and decent employment among their priorities.
Analysts say the difficulty of engaging young voters was demonstrated by protests last year and the mass migration attempt at Ceuta in July.
Head of the Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis, Mohamed Masbah described the Ceuta incident as a form of social protest, saying it reflected frustration with the political system.
Youth Distrust Political Promises
Official figures show that people aged 18 to 24 account for about 12 per cent of Morocco’s population but only around three per cent of registered voters.
Some young Moroccans say repeated elections have produced limited changes, particularly because major political parties have similar positions on key national issues.
University student, Mohamed Azzaoui said he did not intend to vote, citing what he described as repeated promises by the same political figures.
Under Morocco’s political system, the monarchy retains control over the country’s broad policy direction and key areas of government.
Economist Rachid Aourraz said political parties were therefore competing mainly over how to implement the monarchy’s objectives rather than over the country’s overall development model.
Economic Growth Fails to Ease Youth Unemployment
Morocco has recorded significant investment in manufacturing, ports, railways, phosphates and renewable energy in recent years.
Its New Development Model, launched about five years ago, aims to double gross domestic product per capita by 2035.
However, economic growth has not fully translated into improved employment opportunities for young people.
Official statistics put youth unemployment at about 27 per cent, the highest among age groups, while about one in three young Moroccans is neither working, studying nor receiving vocational training.
Morocco’s central bank recently warned that persistent unemployment and other factors have created a gap between measured economic performance and how citizens perceive the country’s economic progress.
Reuters
