The Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS) secured 19 seats in Morocco's 2026 legislative elections, according to preliminary results announced by Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit. Secretary-General of the PPS, Nabil Benabdallah, described the party's performance as disappointing, saying the result fell short of what the party had expected. The elections saw 15.8 million voters registered, with around 6 million ultimately casting ballots.
The Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) topped the results with 97 seats, followed by the National Rally of Independents (RNI) with 66 and the Istiqlal Party with 65. The PPS result places it seventh among the parties that won seats in the preliminary count. The Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) secured 26 seats, while the Popular Movement won 29.
Benabdallah pointed to the work the PPS carried out during the past five years as an opposition party, including initiatives aimed at highlighting what it viewed as shortcomings in government policies. He also linked the party's result to the level of voter participation, which reached 38.02% nationwide. The Interior Ministry reported that voting generally proceeded normally across the country, apart from a small number of isolated incidents.
The PPS leader said the party had repeatedly called for greater voter participation during the electoral campaign, arguing that low turnout affected its performance at the polls. He also offered his reading of the broader voting pattern, saying it reflected what he described as public dissatisfaction with the government's ability to address citizens' main concerns.
Benabdallah said the election process itself largely unfolded under normal conditions, crediting the authorities with managing the vote and ensuring the necessary conditions for polling. The Constitutional Union followed the PPS with 17 seats. A total of 28 political parties, including an alliance involving two parties, submitted 1,847 candidate lists for the local and regional constituencies.
The PPS will hold a meeting to examine the election results in greater detail and assess the factors behind its performance. The meeting will also allow the party to determine its political priorities and future direction following the vote. The preliminary results mark the beginning of the process to form Morocco's next government.
Under the constitutional framework, King Mohammed VI appoints the Head of Government from the political party that comes first in the election results. With PAM currently leading the preliminary count on 97 seats, attention will now turn to the next stage of political consultations and government formation as the final results undergo the required validation process.
Key points
- The PPS secured 19 seats in Morocco's 2026 legislative elections.
- Secretary-General Nabil Benabdallah described the party's performance as disappointing.
- The national voter turnout reached 38.02%.
