Football chief Fouzi Lekjaa joins PAM as Morocco heads toward September elections

As Morocco approaches its September 23 parliamentary elections, budget minister and head of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, Fouzi Lekjaa, announced his affiliation with the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) less than three months before the vote. Constitutional expert Mustafa Ahdar highlighted that, although the 2011 Constitution permits any citizen to join a party, combining a senior ministerial role with leadership of the national football body is atypical.

The timing is significant because the post-election government will be tasked with delivering the 2030 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted with Spain and Portugal, prompting commentators to label the next administration a “World Cup government.” Observers see Lekjaa’s entry as part of a wider shift toward performance-based politics, where managerial competence and national prestige outweigh traditional party platforms. Critics warn that recruiting popular outsiders may undermine party structures and internal democracy, echoing concerns raised about Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch’s own rise. The discussion also resonates with the Moroccan diaspora, many of whom followed Lekjaa’s football successes and now view his political move as a barometer for the upcoming election.