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Morocco's political parties battle youth disenchantment ahead of election
Young Moroccans are far less trusting of parties and Parliament, while unemployment among ages 15 to 24 reached 37.3%, the IMF estimates.
On September 23, Morocco will hold parliamentary elections for 395 seats in the House of Representatives, with more than 15.8 million voters registered to participate.
While 18- to 24-year-olds comprise 12% of the population, they account for only 3% of registered voters, reflecting deep skepticism among youth about political change.
Governing parties including the National Rally of Independents and Authenticity and Modernity Party pledged 1 million jobs and touted roughly $20 billion in infrastructure investment ahead of the 2030 World Cup amid 27% youth unemployment.
Violent protests last year and a border rush on Ceuta highlighted widespread discontent; Mohamed Masbah, head of the Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis, called such incidents "a physical exit from Moroccan politics altogether."
The Justice and Development Party , led by former head of government Abdelilah Benkirane, seeks to rebuild support after dramatic 2021 losses, though the monarchy retains control of the country's overarching policy direction.