Morocco’s Authenticity and Modernity Party claimed the largest share of seats in parliamentary elections, according to final results released by the Ministry of Interior on Friday. The palace-aligned party secured 97 of 395 seats in the House of Representatives, establishing itself as the leading political force but without sufficient numbers to govern independently.
Under Morocco’s constitutional framework, King Mohammed VI is required to appoint a prime minister from the party winning the most parliamentary seats. However, PAM’s 97 seats fall significantly short of the 198-seat threshold needed for an outright majority. Party leadership has indicated plans to pursue coalition arrangements with other political groups to assemble a governing majority. The Istiqlal party, which finished third in the results, and other parties are expected to serve as coalition partners. The Justice and Development Party, which quadrupled its representation to 54 seats from its previous 13, has stated its intention to remain in opposition, effectively ruling out collaboration between the two parties.
The election results represented a substantial shift in parliamentary composition compared to previous cycles. PAM’s principal coalition ally, the National Rally of Independents, experienced a notable decline, dropping from 102 seats to 66. The election took place against a backdrop of limited public participation, with only 38 percent of Morocco’s 15.8 million registered voters casting ballots. This turnout represented the second-lowest rate since King Mohammed VI assumed the throne and marked a considerable decrease from the approximately 51 percent participation recorded in the previous election cycle.
Observers have attributed the reduced voter engagement to several factors, including public disengagement following youth-led demonstrations addressing employment, healthcare, and education concerns, as well as the impact of deadly migration incidents in July. Potential appointees to the prime minister position include figures such as Fouzi Lekjaa and Fatima Ezzahra Mansouri, both PAM members holding significant governmental portfolios. Should Mansouri receive the appointment, she would become the first woman to assume the role in Morocco. The incoming government will assume responsibility for overseeing substantial investment flows as Morocco prepares to cohost the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
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