Morocco's ruling coalition fractures ahead of September 23 election

Morocco's governing coalition is fracturing in plain sight, with three parties that have governed together since 2021 now openly accusing each other of poaching candidates and jockeying for position—all before the official campaign even begins on September 10. The September 23 parliamentary election will determine which party gets the strongest claim to form the next government, and the scramble for advantage has already turned ugly.

A leaked audio recording attributed to House Speaker Rachid Talbi Alami, a senior figure in the National Rally of Independents (RNI), exposed the raw tensions simmering beneath the coalition's surface. In the recording, a voice attributed to Talbi Alami criticized budget minister Fouzi Lekjaa—a high-profile politician who has led Morocco's football federation since 2014 and was central to the national team's 2022 World Cup run—without naming him directly, warning against allowing him to hold the economy and finance portfolio in any future government. The recording circulated after the RNI accused its coalition partner, the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), of recruiting its elected officials and candidates away. What emerged was not a private disagreement but a window into how Morocco's governing allies are already dividing up ministerial posts before voters have cast a single ballot. Lekjaa responded by rejecting the idea of "dividing up the spoils without having hunted them," while RNI President Mohamed Chouki and Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch defended internal party discussions as normal political debate. The tension revealed something deeper: the three governing parties—RNI, PAM, and Istiqlal—are partners in government today but rivals competing for the same voters, candidates, and influence.

The election itself will be fought over ground that has shifted beneath ordinary Moroccans' feet. About 15.8 million voters are registered out of a voting-age population estimated at roughly 25 million. The government promised to create at least one million net jobs between 2021 and 2026. By the end of 2025, it had delivered about 95,000—a gap so wide that opposition parties have a simple, devastating campaign line ready. The cost of living remains the dominant concern for voters. Inflation has slowed from its sharpest increases, but prices have not fallen back to where they were. Food, transport, and basic expenses remain more expensive than they were years ago. For many households, the question is not whether economic indicators are improving but whether they can feel that improvement when they buy groceries or pay for transport.

Two recent events have sharpened voter frustration into political ammunition. Last year, drought and livestock shortages made the traditional Eid al-Adha sheep sacrifice unaffordable for many families. This year, sheep returned to markets but at prices so high that widespread reports described families unable to maintain the ritual. For opposition parties, the issue is not religious observance but the government's failure to manage food supplies and household finances. More dramatically, on July 30, at least 72,000 people crossed from Morocco into the Spanish-administered enclave of Ceuta. Spanish authorities reported 82 deaths on their side and Morocco confirmed 14 deaths on its side. By August 21, authorities had identified only six of the dead. The crossing was fueled partly by misinformation on social media—posts and videos suggesting Spain had opened its border—but it also exposed the desperation driving young Moroccans to risk their lives seeking opportunity elsewhere. The Justice and Development Party, now in opposition, has called for a royal commission of inquiry, bringing the tragedy into the election debate as a question about youth employment, migration, and Morocco's relationship with Spain.

The governing coalition can point to economic growth, investment, and expanded social protection as evidence of progress. But voters will judge them on whether healthcare and education have actually improved, whether public services work better, and whether the reforms they hear about translate into the daily reality they experience. The opposition will argue the government has fallen short on every front. Smaller parties will compete for seats that could give them leverage in forming the next coalition. Turnout will matter enormously: in 2021, only about 50 percent of registered voters participated, and young people aged 18 to 24 make up only about three percent of the registered electorate. The challenge for every party is not just winning votes from the politically engaged but persuading the disengaged to show up.

Social media has already become a primary arena for political messaging and controversy. The leaked Talbi Alami recording spread online before becoming a wider political story. Accounts on social media mobilized thousands toward Ceuta. For Morocco's election, the platforms are simultaneously amplifying political messages, spreading accusations, and circulating misinformation. The official campaign has not started, but the political contest is already under way. What voters will ultimately decide is whether Morocco's parties can convince a skeptical electorate that another election will produce meaningful change—or whether the internal disputes, unfulfilled promises, and daily struggles will prove too much to overcome.