Morocco's center-right Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) took first place in Wednesday's parliamentary election, according to provisional results. PAM is part of Morocco's outgoing ruling coalition and was founded in 2008 by an adviser to the king. The party advocates social modernization and moderate secularist views and is largely seen as close to the Moroccan monarchy.

PAM won 97 out of 395 seats in parliament, 10 seats more than in 2021. Voter turnout was just 38%, the lowest level since 2007. Nearly 16 million people were registered to vote, but only around 4% of them were aged 18 to 24. The National Rally of Independents (RNI), the senior partner in the outgoing coalition, dropped from 102 to 66 seats, putting it in second place. The smallest member of the governing coalition, the right-wing Istiqlal party, also saw losses, taking 65 seats, 16 fewer than in 2021. The moderate Islamist opposition Justice and Development Party (PJD) surged to 54 seats, compared to just 13 in 2021.

The vote is not expected to fundamentally alter the balance of power in the North African kingdom. As Morocco is a semi-constitutional monarchy, King Mohammed VI retains substantial powers in both policy direction and foreign affairs. The next coalition government will oversee preparations for the 2030 World Cup.

The low turnout was widely blamed on mistrust in politicians and issues regarding living conditions. In 2025, Morocco was rocked by Gen Z-led protests, the largest since the Arab Spring in the early 2010s. "I'm not going to vote because I have lost all faith in the political class," 50-year-old Majda Bakatir told AFP. "We want our country to move forward, but politicians do not seem to care about our problems regarding healthcare, education, and purchasing power."

Source: www.dw.com