Morocco’s parliamentary election on September 23 is giving young activists and former protesters an opportunity to move demands raised during last year’s GenZ 212 demonstrations into formal political activity.
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The election will decide all 395 seats in the House of Representatives. More than 15.8 million people are registered to vote, although young people make up a relatively small share of the electorate. About 4 percent of registered voters are aged between 18 and 24, while those aged 60 and above account for more than 29 percent.
From demonstrations to campaigns
Hamza El Kharroubi, a 28-year-old environmental entrepreneur, was protesting nearly a year ago. He is now campaigning in Tetouan for a parliamentary seat and has founded the Environment and Sustainability Party, seeking to direct youth engagement towards formal politics.
“The previous protests by Gen Z have sparked more youth engagement in political parties,” El Kharroubi said. “We expect this year to have exceptional participation from youth, both in voting and campaigning.”
The nationwide demonstrations began on September 27, 2025, after anger over public healthcare, education, employment and living conditions spread beyond earlier protests in Agadir. The deaths of eight women following Caesarean deliveries at a public hospital in a southern city became a flashpoint for wider grievances. At least three people were killed during unrest in October.
GenZ 212, a leaderless movement with no ties to political parties, mobilised largely through Discord, TikTok and Instagram. Its demands included improved public healthcare and education, more job opportunities, an end to corruption and opposition to what protesters considered misplaced public spending.
The protests also exposed a divide between young people seeking change and formal political institutions. The election is now testing whether that frustration can translate into voting, campaigning and sustained engagement with political parties.
Youth demands for practical results
Az-el Arab Hilmi, 32, works with the secretariat of the Federation of the Democratic Left in Tifelt. He joined the organisation in 2016 after being drawn to a parliamentary campaign by Omar Balafrej, who won a Rabat seat that year but did not run again in 2021.
Hilmi said young Moroccans were no longer prepared to accept “traditional political discourse or general promises”. He said they wanted visible improvements in education, public healthcare, employment and the distribution of opportunities.
“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,” he said.
Hilmi urged parties to give young people meaningful roles in political debate, decision-making and responsibility, rather than limiting their involvement to appearing at the front of campaign events. He also said parties should be clear about what they could and could not deliver, while conducting politics responsibly and transparently.
In October, GenZ 212 held an open Discord discussion with Balafrej on democracy, political responsibility and the role of young people in political change. The group described him as a supporter of its youth movement and peaceful activism.
Disengagement and accountability
Moubarak Toumi, 18, is a member of Ittihadiya Youth, the youth wing of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces’ regional secretariat in Casablanca-Settat.
Toumi said some young Moroccans inherited a cautious attitude towards politics from older generations. A common instruction, he said, was to “walk close to the wall”, keep a low profile and avoid trouble.
He also linked political disengagement to disappointment over unmet promises on healthcare, education and employment, despite large public budgets. Discussing cash sometimes handed to voters, he referred to a “200-dirham mentality” and called for a change in political thinking.
“Today, however, we must renew our thinking and engage more actively to build a better future,” Toumi said.
Economic conditions remain a major concern for young voters. Morocco’s official unemployment rate was 13 percent in 2025, according to the High Commission for Planning, rising to 37.2 percent among people aged 15 to 24.
Turnout in the 2021 election was just over 50 percent. Hilmi said voting should not end citizens’ involvement, urging young people to “monitor, ask, criticise and demand accountability” after representatives take office.
“The election is not a blank cheque,” he said, describing the vote as the beginning of an ongoing relationship between citizens and their elected representatives.
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