Morocco’s PJD: what has the party learned from its dramatic fall

After the 2011 protests and subsequent constitutional changes, Morocco’s Justice and Development Party emerged as a principal parliamentary force, winning 107 seats that year and leading the government with Abdelilah Benkirane as head of government. The 2011 reforms increased the formal powers of Parliament and government but preserved substantial authority for the monarchy, including the king’s role in appointing the head of government and chairing the Council of Ministers. The PJD strengthened its parliamentary position in 2016, taking 125 seats, but internal and coalition difficulties led to Saadeddine Othmani replacing Benkirane as head of government in March 2017. The party remained in government until a sharp reversal in the September 2021 election, when it fell to 13 seats while the National Rally of Independents became the largest party with 102 seats. In response to the 2021 defeat the PJD says it has undertaken internal reorganisation, held congresses, and returned Benkirane to leadership. The party has also produced a 2026 platform containing 467 proposed measures spanning identity and family policy, political and institutional reform, public services and social protection, economic and employment policy, and foreign policy. The programme places emphasis on practical concerns such as housing, public services, jobs, purchasing power, and anti-corruption measures including greater transparency in public procurement and rules on conflicts of interest. Party figures cite a mix of self-critique and external explanations for the 2021 loss. The PJD’s own assessments point to problematic political and organisational choices while also alleging, without independently established evidence in the party’s account, that unnamed actors and electoral malpractice undermined outcomes. Rebuilding efforts highlight expanding youth participation and converting attention around Benkirane’s personal visibility into durable support for party institutions. Observers note, however, that even if the PJD regains influence, its ability to implement changes would be shaped by the constitutional balance of power and entrenched interests it has sometimes described metaphorically as “ghosts and crocodiles.”