Legislative Elections 2026 in Morocco: A Democratic Challenge Driven by Royal Initiative 11636

Aziz Daouda, 8 mon.

- Politics - Society -

3 min read.

His Majesty King Mohammed VI has officially tasked the Ministry of the Interior with preparing the 2026 legislative elections. This decision, announced in the 26th Throne Speech, represents both a solemn directive and a particular vote of confidence in the ministry. By the end of the year, the ministry is expected to have finalized the legal and organizational framework for the election. Following this, Mr. Abdelouafi Laftit convened the main political parties for inclusive consultations aiming to guarantee a "model," transparent, and credible election, in accordance with royal instructions. This approach reflects a clear desire to strengthen the organization of elections by removing them from the direct influence of the government, particularly its head, Mr. Aziz Akhannouch, who is also president of the RNI party. This party is seen as having significant influence over the electoral process. Entrusting this mission to the Ministry of the Interior, recognized for its role as an institutional arbiter, aims to limit direct political interference and prevent any attempt to capture the vote by certain actors in power. During the meeting, the minister emphasized the necessity for the elections to be "exemplary" and suggested that significant effort would be made to meet democratic and institutional expectations—implying that everything will be done to strictly implement the royal will, while distancing from all political factions. A new electoral code specific to the House of Representatives is therefore being prepared, with an adoption planned before the end of 2025. The ongoing reflections and discussions address several key areas: updating or simplifying voter lists, with reliance solely on identity cards to identify voters; the moralization and regulation of campaign financing through stronger control, possibly including caps on candidate and party spending. Better transparency and a review of electoral districts based on the latest census are also on the agenda. The issue of the number of polling stations—which exceeded 40,000 in the last election—should also be discussed, as well as the representation of approximately 6 million Moroccans living abroad. The current voting system, based on proportional representation by lists, could also be reconsidered to address shortcomings observed in 2021, particularly the tendency to favor "kingmakers" of deputies and local clientelism, often fueled by money. Within the political sphere, there is rather a radio silence. The impression is that political parties are either indifferent or strategically cautious. The debate and torrent of ideas are thus taking place among commentators and other writers. There is a shared feeling that things must change if political life is to regain meaning. This is what His Majesty desires. The introduction of a two-round single-member district voting system is one frequently cited idea as a possible way to reduce the influence of money and traditional networks of power. This voting method, never experimented with in Morocco, would favor a vote focused more on individuals than on party lists, thus strengthening democracy through better citizen mobilization and greater representativeness. So far, citizens have often been surprised by unnatural alliances formed after the vote, leaving voters without control over the final configuration. The two-round system has the advantage that any negotiation or alliance between parties occurs between the two rounds, at a time when citizens can still intervene by casting a second vote. This profound electoral reform could respond to a major challenge: citizens' disenchantment with politics, shown by high abstention rates, fueled by perceptions of insufficient renewal, party inefficiency, and therefore of elected bodies. To succeed, reform must go hand in hand with efforts by parties to renew their approaches, attract youth seeking alternatives, and rekindle popular interest in voting. Moroccan political parties have historically had an ambiguous relationship with voters beyond their traditional bases. They even seem to discourage mass participation in the electoral process, fearing that their often small membership, relative to the statutory electorate, would be diluted. The PJD came to power with only 1.3 million votes, about one-tenth of potential voters. Some parties hold parliamentary groups despite having obtained only around 200,000 votes or less. Parties are sometimes seen as unrepresentative and tainted by corruption accusations. However, they have a pragmatic interest in mobilizing their core voters to retain their political weight and public funding. The prospects for a dynamic electoral campaign today appear limited by a certain apathy among political actors, hindering the expected democratic momentum. Regarding the two-round single-member vote, although it might structure the political landscape around two major poles and encourage clearer alliances, it alone cannot neutralize the influence of money, networks tied to local leaders, or clientelism. This system could even exacerbate artificial polarization, marginalize smaller parties, and allow hidden alliances between major parties, harming transparency and democratic legitimacy. Risks also remain concerning lower participation between rounds and the complexity of changing voter opinions, potentially opening the door to strategic manipulations. Thus, complementary reforms are essential, notably in campaign finance transparency, the moralization of the electoral process, and control over local clientelism, to guarantee fairer and more credible political competition. The royal decision to entrust the Ministry of the Interior with election management, inclusive dialogue with parties, and the declared will to moralize the process demonstrate a strong ambition for profound reform toward a fairer, more equitable, and trustworthy election. The voting system remains central to the debate, but the success of the 2026 legislative elections will also depend on the ability to reinvent an electoral and political system capable of mobilizing citizens and establishing trust in Moroccan democracy. Citizens are also called upon to embrace greater honesty and responsibility.

Football: When Passion Kills the Game in Impunity and Tolerance.. 573

Aziz Daouda, 2 d.

- Society - Sports -

2.7 min read.

Football (Soccer for Americans) is first and foremost a matter of emotions. By its very essence, it is an open-air theater where human passions play out in their rawest, most primal form. It generates joy, anger, pride, humiliation, and a sense of belonging. From the stands of Camp Nou to those of the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, through the fervor of the Mohamed V sport Complex in Casablanca, the vibrant enclosures of Stade Léopold Sédar Senghor in Dakar, or even the Parc des Princes in Paris, the Vélodrome In Marseille, and the Bernabeu In Madrid, football transcends the mere framework of the game to become a total social phenomenon. But this emotional intensity, which makes football's beauty, also constitutes its danger. For without rigorous regulation, it quickly tips into excess, then into violence. Today, it must be acknowledged that the rules exist, but they are too often circumvented, stripped of their substance, or applied with disconcerting leniency. On the pitches as in the stands, excesses are multiplying: insults toward referees, provocations between players, systematic challenges, physical violence, projectile throwing, pitch invasions, xenophobic remarks, racist offenses. What was once the exception is tending to become a tolerated norm. Astonishingly, we are starting to get used to it. Recent examples are telling. In Spain, in stadiums renowned for their football culture, racist chants continue to be belted out without shame, targeting players like Vinícius Júnior. Most recently, it was the Muslim community that was insulted. And yet, Spain's current football prodigy is Muslim. An overheated crowd that has doubtless forgotten it wasn't so long ago that it was Muslim itself. Among those chanting these remarks, and without a doubt, some still carry the genes of that recent past... In Dakar, just a few days ago, clashes escalated, turning a sports celebration into a scene of chaos. In Italy, incidents involving supporters who invaded the pitch, during a friendly match, no less, endangered players and officials, recalling the dark hours of European hooliganism in the 1980s. These episodes are not isolated; they reflect a worrying normalization of violence in and around stadiums. Even at the highest level of African football, behavioral excesses are becoming problematic. The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final left a bitter taste. What should have been a moment of celebration for continental football was marred by behaviors contrary to sporting ethics. Pressures on refereeing, excessive challenges, and game interruptions have become commonplace. When a coach manipulates a match's rhythm to influence a refereeing decision, it is no longer strategy but a challenge to the very foundations of the sport. Despite international outrage, the sanctions imposed on teams, clubs, or players involved remain often symbolic, insufficient to eradicate these behaviors. A very surprising phenomenon: rarely have clubs or federations clearly distanced themselves from such crowds. They accommodate them, and when they condemn them, it is half-heartedly, in a muffled, timid tone with no effect. The problem is twofold. On one hand, disciplinary regulations exist but lack firmness. On the other, their application suffers from a lack of consistency and political courage. Bodies like FIFA, continental confederations, and national federations hesitate to impose truly dissuasive sanctions such as point deductions, prolonged closed-door matches, competition exclusions, or even administrative relegations. Yet without fear of sanction, the rule loses all effectiveness. It suffices to compare with other sports to measure the gap. In rugby, for example, respect for the referee is a cardinal value. The slightest challenge is immediately sanctioned. In athletics, a false start leads to immediate disqualification, no discussion. Football, meanwhile, still tolerates too many behaviors that should be unacceptable. This permissiveness has a cost. It undermines football's image, discourages some families from attending stadiums, and endangers the safety of the game's actors. More gravely, it paves the way for future tragedies. History has already taught us, through catastrophes like the Heysel Stadium disaster, that violence in stadiums can have tragic consequences. It is therefore urgent to react. Regulating football does not mean killing its soul, but rather preserving it. It is not about extinguishing passions, but channeling them. This requires strong measures, exemplary sanctions against offending clubs and players, accountability for national federations, increased use of technology to identify troublemakers, and above all, a clear political will from national and international governing bodies. Football cannot continue to be this "market of emotion" left to its own devices. For by tolerating the intolerable, it risks losing what makes its greatness and its ability to unite rather than divide. If FIFA does not decide to act firmly, the danger is real: that of seeing football sink into a spiral where violence triumphs over the game, and where, one day, tragedies exceed the mere framework of sport. The long-awaited decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the 2025 AFCON final case should confirm rigor and integrity in the application of rules, at least at this level, thereby strengthening the credibility of the pan-African competition and football in general.