OMM Redaksiyası
Rabat, Morocco – Young Moroccan candidates are campaigning ahead of the September 23 parliamentary election, nearly a year after Gen Z-led protests brought demands for better public services, jobs and political accountability to the streets.
Environmental entrepreneur Hamza El Kharroubi, 28, was protesting last year. This week, he is campaigning for a seat in parliament, according to Al Jazeera.
El Kharroubi, who founded the Environment and Sustainability Party, said he was cautiously optimistic that more young Moroccans would enter parliament. He said the protests had encouraged greater youth involvement in political parties and predicted strong participation among young people both as voters and campaigners.
Protests exposed widespread youth frustration
Nationwide demonstrations began on September 27, 2025, after anger over healthcare, education, unemployment and living conditions spread beyond earlier protests in Agadir.
The unrest followed the deaths of eight women after Caesarean deliveries at a public hospital in the southern city, turning the incident into a flashpoint for broader grievances about public services.
The largely online, leaderless movement known as GenZ 212 mobilised through platforms including Discord, TikTok and Instagram. Protesters called for improved healthcare and education, more job opportunities, an end to corruption and a review of what they considered misplaced public spending. At least three people were killed during the unrest in October 2025.
The protests also underscored a challenge for the election: many young people who demanded change in the streets remain detached from formal politics.
Young voters remain underrepresented
More than 15.8 million people are registered to vote in the election, which will determine all 395 seats in Morocco’s House of Representatives. However, figures based on electoral rolls finalised in July show that only about four percent of registered voters are aged between 18 and 24.
People aged 60 and above account for more than 29 percent of the electorate, while those aged 35 to 44 make up 21 percent. Turnout in the 2021 election was just over 50 percent.
Az-el Arab Hilmi, 32, of the Federation of the Democratic Left, said the protests showed that young people were no longer prepared to accept traditional political rhetoric or broad promises.
“There is a generation that wants to see tangible results in its daily life: good education, public healthcare that preserves dignity, real job opportunities and fairness in the distribution of opportunities,” Hilmi told Al Jazeera English.
He said political parties should give young people a genuine role in debate, decision-making and responsibility, rather than involving them only during election campaigns.
Unemployment remains a central concern
Moubarak Toumi, 18, who joined the Socialist Union of Popular Forces’ regional secretariat in Casablanca-Settat three years ago, said young people’s distance from politics was partly inherited from older generations.
He referred to advice to “walk close to the wall” — staying quiet, avoiding trouble and prioritising stability — as well as the “200-dirham mentality”, a phrase associated with cash sometimes given to voters.
Toumi said young people now needed to engage more actively, pointing to frustration over unmet promises in healthcare, education and employment despite substantial public spending.
Morocco’s youth unemployment remains a persistent problem. The official unemployment rate was 13 percent in 2025, rising to 37.2 percent among people aged 15 to 24, according to the High Commission for Planning.
Hilmi said voters should distinguish between what political parties can promise and what they can realistically deliver. He argued that representatives should explain their capabilities, honour their commitments and act transparently.
“The election is not a blank cheque,” he said, urging young people to continue monitoring, questioning, criticising and demanding accountability from elected officials.
