Morocco Votes as 16 Million Decide Whether Football Boss Fouzi Lekjaa Becomes Prime Minister

Moroccans are voting Wednesday in parliamentary elections that will fill all 395 seats in the House of Representatives, with nearly 16 million citizens registered to cast ballots [247903][248024]. The election is the first since youth-led protests swept the country in late 2025, and it comes as public faith in politics faces a serious test [246769][247922].

The vote is dominated by economic concerns. In the summer, more than 70,000 people crossed the border into Ceuta, a Spanish enclave, in a mass migration surge that raised fears about youth unemployment and the cost of living [247903][248024]. Young people who crossed told reporters they had no work in their country and that salaries were very low [248024]. Morocco has since heavily reinforced the border at Castillejos, deploying about 3,000 officers, including police, gendarmes and military units, following social media calls for another crossing on election day [248024].

About 15.8 million citizens are registered to vote, while the voting-age population is around 28 million. Registration is voluntary, and the gap between these numbers shows a major problem: voter disconnection [248024]. In the 2021 elections, about half of registered voters did not go to the polls. Only 4% of registered voters are aged 18 to 24, while people over 60 make up more than 29% [248024]. Young Moroccans have spent a year protesting, demanding jobs, better public services like healthcare and education, and less social inequality [247922][248024].

Social discontent stands alongside strong economic numbers. The High Commission for Planning estimated the economy grew about 4.8% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, driven by agriculture, services and domestic demand, and the International Monetary Fund projects 4.4% growth for the full year [248024]. Morocco is also investing heavily in roads, railways, airports, stadiums and urban projects linked to the 2030 men's football World Cup [248024].

Three parties have governed together since 2021: the National Rally of Independents (RNI), the Party of Authenticity and Modernity (PAM), and Istiqlal [248024]. The RNI won the last elections with about 29% of the vote and put Aziz Akhannouch in charge of the government. The PAM came second with 14%, and Istiqlal won about 10%. Akhannouch has said he will not seek another term, opening a race to replace him [248024].

Fouzi Lekjaa has become one of the biggest figures of the campaign. Moroccan media and political experts place him among the possible candidates for prime minister if the PAM wins [248024]. Morocco does not allow election polling, so no public surveys show a clear favorite [248024]. Lekjaa is currently minister delegate for the budget and has led the Royal Moroccan Football Federation since 2014. He joined the PAM just months before the elections and quickly became a central figure at campaign events [248024]. Under his leadership, Morocco's national team reached the semifinals of the 2022 Qatar World Cup and the quarterfinals in 2026. King Mohamed VI also put him in charge of the committee for the 2030 World Cup, which will overlap with the next government's term [248024].

Morocco looks like a constitutional monarchy, but in practice power is heavily tilted toward King Mohamed VI. The King leads the Council of Ministers and chooses who holds the key posts: Foreign Affairs, Interior, Military Affairs and Religious Affairs. Experts often call this a hybrid system, and the government mainly manages priorities set by the King [248024]. The Constitution says the King must name the head of government from the party that finishes first, but the chosen person does not have to have run for a parliamentary seat [248024].

Candidates have promised reform, including more jobs and better public services, but many voters remain skeptical. They say past promises have gone unfulfilled and doubt this time will be different [247944].