CASABLANCA, Morocco — Morocco’s Authenticity and Modernity Party, known as PAM, won the largest number of seats in the country’s parliamentary election, according to provisional results released by the Interior Ministry early Thursday.

The governing National Rally of Independents, known by its French acronym RNI, suffered significant losses, while the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party made a strong comeback.

Moroccans voted Wednesday for a new parliament amid growing frustration among young people over unemployment, public services and living costs. Voters also expressed demands for improvements in education, health care and housing despite Morocco’s broader economic growth.

PAM won 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament. RNI finished with 66 seats, followed by the Istiqlal Party with 65.

The Justice and Development Party, which won only 13 seats in the 2021 election, increased its total to 54 seats in the provisional results.

PAM and Istiqlal were both members of the parliamentary majority that supported the outgoing RNI-led government.

Founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, a childhood friend and close adviser to King Mohammed VI, PAM developed into a major political force and was widely viewed as a counterweight to the Justice and Development Party, which had previously led the government for a decade.

Voter turnout was 38%, the lowest level recorded since 2007.

The election was the first parliamentary vote since youth-led protests nearly a year earlier that resulted in deaths, as well as a mass attempt by migrants to cross Morocco’s northern border into the Spanish territory of Ceuta that left dozens dead.

The election will determine the next prime minister and the composition of the government. The new administration will operate alongside Morocco’s monarchy, which retains broad powers over strategic areas of state policy.

The incoming government will also oversee billions of dollars in investment as Morocco prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Some observers have referred to the next administration as the potential “World Cup government.”

At the same time, the new political leadership will face pressure over everyday economic and social issues, including employment, wages and the cost of living.

Under Morocco’s Constitution, the king appoints a prime minister from the party that wins the largest number of seats in legislative elections.

Because no single party is expected to secure an absolute majority, the leading party will need to negotiate with other political groups to form a coalition government. Cabinet positions are typically divided among coalition partners, while the royal palace retains control over strategically important portfolios such as defense and foreign affairs.

Among the possible candidates for prime minister is Faouzi Lakjaa, president of Morocco’s soccer federation, who recently joined PAM and has benefited from Morocco’s recent successes in international soccer.

Fatima-Zahra Mansouri, 50, the mayor of Marrakech and minister of urban planning, is another possible candidate. If appointed, she would become Morocco’s first female prime minister.

The provisional results now set the stage for coalition negotiations and the formation of Morocco’s next government.

SOURCE: Associated Press (AP), Akram Oubachir, updated September 24, 2026.