Morocco goes to polls with youth unemployment topping voter concerns

Morocco is holding a parliamentary election on Wednesday. The country's youth are disengaged from politics, with unemployment among them a top concern. This discontent has manifested in protests and a recent border crisis.

The ruling parties, the National Rally of Independents (RNI) and the Authenticity and Modernity Party (Pam), have made youth employment a central campaign issue. They have pledged to create around a million jobs in the next term. According to The National Business and The National UAE, these parties have also promised roughly $20 billion in infrastructure investment ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.

The parties have used social media to reach young voters, with the Pam party stating that young people want "housing, regular income and dignified work", not just an easy life. The challenge of engaging young voters was highlighted by deadly protests led by Gen Z last year and a massive border rush on the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, which was partly blamed on economic hardship among young people.

Brief written by urgent.news from RFI English, The National Business, The National UAE — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.