Ruling parties embrace ‘listening posture’ toward Gen Z protests

At a closed-door meeting in Rabat today,  Morocco’s governing coalition sought to project unity and responsiveness in the face of mounting youth unrest.

Leaders of the three-party majority , Aziz Akhannouch of the National Rally of Independents (RNI), Fatima-Zahra Mansouri and Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), and Nizar Baraka of the Istiqlal Party,  convened alongside senior ministers to shape the contours of the 2026 budget and respond to what they called the country’s “new political and social moment.”

The coalition’s communiqué explicitly linked its agenda to King Mohammed VI’s Throne Day speech, which urged a “new generation of territorial development programs” to reduce inequality and restore trust in public institutions. 

But the statement also addressed a more immediate challenge: the surge of protests and online mobilizations led by Gen Z Moroccans, whose frustration with health services, and inequality has spilled into the streets and across digital platforms.

“The government affirms its attentive listening and understanding of social demands and its readiness to respond positively and responsibly,” the coalition wrote, framing dialogue as “the only path to address the challenges facing our country.”

 Security services, the communiqué noted, had responded to recent demonstrations with “balanced measures” consistent with legal procedures.

The government sought to recast Gen Z’s demands  as overlapping with its own reform priorities, particularly in health care. 

Morocco’s hospitals, understaffed and unevenly equipped, have long been seen as emblematic of systemic neglect. “The ambition for reform expressed by youth converges with the government’s priorities,” the coalition wrote, citing ongoing investments in territorial health groups, hospital rehabilitation, and staffing increases meant to align with international standards.

 Still, it cautioned, the results of such a “massive reform program” cannot be measured instantly.

The statement also praised parliamentarians’ recent initiative to summon the health minister for a detailed presentation,  signaling that institutions, not protests, should remain the arena for policy debate.

Beyond health, the coalition emphasized progress on the royal flagship project of universal social protection, expanded public and private investment to create jobs, and new programs on housing, youth empowerment, water stress, and justice reform. 

These priorities, leaders argued, would “strengthen the social contract between citizens and the state” and demonstrate that government action is keeping pace with citizens’ expectations.