Moroccan youth activists turn protest momentum into parliamentary candidacies

Hamza El Kharroubi, an environmental entrepreneur who participated in the 2025 street protests, is now seeking a seat in Morocco’s House of Representatives through his Environment and Sustainability Party, campaigning in Tetouan. The demonstrations began on 27 September 2025 after eight women died following Caesarean sections at a public hospital, fueling broader anger over public services and drawing thousands of Gen Z participants via Discord, TikTok and Instagram.

Although more than 15.8 million citizens are registered to vote on 23 September, only about four percent are aged 18-24, while older age groups dominate the electorate. Activists such as Az-el Arab Hilmi of the Federation of the Democratic Left and Moubarak Toumi of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces stress that young voters demand concrete improvements in education, healthcare and employment, noting a 13 percent overall unemployment rate and 37.2 percent among those 15-24.

They call for parties to give youth a genuine role in policy-making rather than symbolic campaign positions. The election will test whether formal politics can translate the energy of the protests into legislative change.