On July 1st, the Ministry of the Interior held new municipal by-elections, with 82 seats up for grabs. As expected, the vote largely favored the parties within the governing coalition. According to official results, the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) led the pack with 22 seats, representing 27% of the total. It was followed closely by the National Rally of Independents (RNI), which secured 20 seats (24%), and the Istiqlal Party, which won 19 seats (23%). These results reinforce the continued momentum of the three majority parties, a trend already observed during the earlier partial legislative elections held after the Constitutional Court annulled the September 8, 2021, vote. Among the opposition parties, only the Popular Movement made a notable showing, earning 10 seats (12%). Other parties struggled to gain ground. The Justice and Development Party (PJD) won just 4 seats, with the return of Abdelilah Benkirane as party leader in 2021 proving insufficient to win back voter confidence. The Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) and the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS) performed even more modestly, securing 3 and 1 seats, respectively. Morocco is now preparing for the 2026 legislative elections. In the coming months, the Ministry of the Interior is expected to begin consultations with political parties to draft and adopt updated electoral laws.
