Morocco’s Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) has secured the largest number of seats in the country’s recent parliamentary election, though it will require partners to form a government. According to final results released by the Ministry of Interior on Friday, the monarchy-aligned party, which is part of the current ruling coalition, claimed 97 of the 395 positions in the House of Representatives.
Under the Moroccan constitution, King Mohammed VI is required to appoint the prime minister from the party with the most seats. However, PAM’s 97 seats fall significantly short of the 198 needed for an outright majority, necessitating coalition negotiations.
The party, established in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, a close associate of the king, has historically served as a check on the Justice and Development Party (PJD), a moderate Islamist group that governed for ten years before its seat count plummeted to 13 in 2021. In a notable shift, the PJD made a strong resurgence in this election, quadrupling its representation to 54 seats. Due to their entrenched rivalry, a coalition between PAM and the PJD is considered unlikely, with the PJD stating it intends to stay in opposition. Consequently, PAM is expected to seek alliances with the monarchist Istiqlal party, which finished third, along with other political groups.
PAM’s key coalition partner, the National Rally of Independents (RNI), suffered significant losses, dropping from 102 seats to 66. Voter participation also hit a low point, with only 38 percent of Morocco’s 15.8 million registered voters casting ballots. This marks the second-lowest turnout since King Mohammed VI ascended to the throne in 1999, following a record 37 percent in 2007 and a substantial decline from the 51 percent seen in 2021. Analysts link the disengagement to lingering effects from youth-led protests last year concerning employment, healthcare, and education, as well as deadly migration attempts toward the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in July.
Potential candidates for prime minister include PAM’s Fouzi Lekjaa, who serves as both the head of the Morocco Football Federation and the budget minister, and Fatima Ezzahra Mansouri, the mayor of Marrakech and minister of national planning. If selected, Mansouri would become the first woman to hold the office of prime minister in Morocco.
The incoming administration will be tasked with managing billions of dollars in investment as the nation prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
Would a female prime minister really be a historic milestone here? Mansouri seems like a strong candidate for the role.
Only 38% turnout is worrying. Does this signal deeper frustration among Moroccan youth about the economy and jobs?
It is fascinating to see PAM still leading despite the drop in seats. The coalition math will be tricky without RNI.