Morocco’s Justice and Development Party (PJD) went from a decade of being the main political beneficiary of the country’s post-2011 reforms to suffering a dramatic electoral defeat in 2021.
asserted
Party → go → 2021
The party won 107 of the 395 seats in Parliament in the November 2011 election, after protests that year called for political reform, greater accountability and a more responsive government.
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protests → win → reform
Its leader, Abdelilah Benkirane, became head of government.
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leader → become → government
Morocco’s 2011 constitutional changes expanded the formal powers of Parliament and government while retaining significant authority for the monarchy.
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changes → expand → monarchy
The king appoints the head of government from the party that comes first in the House of Representatives, while he chairs the Council of Ministers, where strategic orientations of state policy are considered.
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orientations → appoint → policy
In the 2016 election, the PJD increased its seats to 125, but Benkirane spent months unable to form a governing coalition.
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Benkirane → increase → coalition
In March 2017, King Mohammed VI ended his mandate and appointed Saadeddine Othmani to replace him.
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VI → end → him
The PJD remained in government until its electoral collapse four years later.
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PJD → remain → collapse
In the September 2021 election, the party fell from 125 seats to just 13, losing 112.
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party → fall → 112
The National Rally of Independents (RNI) won 102 seats and became the largest party.
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Rally → win → seats
How much of the comeback rests on Benkirane?
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much → rest → Benkirane
Benkirane’s return raises another question: How much of the PJD’s comeback is being built around him?
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much → raise → him
A recent Al Jazeera Studies analysis describes Benkirane as a political “brand” whose long public career, media presence and direct communication style have created a personal profile that can function as electoral capital for the party.
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that → describe → party
It examines whether his visibility and personal appeal can help the PJD rebuild after its 2021 collapse.
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PJD → examine → collapse
Benkirane remains one of Morocco’s most recognisable political figures.
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Benkirane → remain → figures
But his return does not by itself show that the PJD has rebuilt its support.
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PJD → show → support
The party lost 112 seats in 2021; its task now is to turn the attention generated by its leader into support for the party itself.
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task → lose → party
A broader programme
The PJD’s 2026 programme contains 467 measures across five broad areas: identity and family; political and institutional reform; public services and social protection; the economy and employment; and foreign policy.
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programme → contain → areas
It calls for greater transparency in public procurement, rules addressing conflicts of interest and illicit enrichment, and improvements to public services.
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It → call → services
It also highlights housing, social protection, food, water and energy sovereignty.
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It → highlight → housing
Its programme foregrounds practical issues such as prices, jobs, schools, hospitals and corruption.
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programme → foreground → prices
Saad al-Sabahi, 38, who works with the PJD’s regional secretariat in Casablanca-Settat, said the programme was developed through studies, consultation meetings and proposals submitted through an online platform.
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programme → work → platform
“These commitments cover a range of sectors and areas affecting the lives of the Moroccan people,” he told Al Jazeera, pointing to political participation, fighting corruption, public education, healthcare, employment and economic sovereignty.
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he → cover → corruption
“These commitments, among others, form the basis of the agreement between the party and voters.
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commitments → form → party
We will work to fulfil and implement them with integrity and competence,” al-Sabahi said.
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Sabahi → work → integrity
What changed after 2021?
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What → change → 2021
The PJD says one of its main lessons from the 2021 defeat has been the need to reorganise internally and examine more critically its years in government.
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one → say → government
“The party was able to overcome its crisis following its extraordinary and regular congresses, and after Secretary-General Abdelilah Benkirane took over the leadership,” al-Sabahi said.
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Sabahi → overcome → leadership
“The party also reorganised its internal affairs through communication and the renewal of its structures.”
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party → reorganise → structures
The party’s own assessment of the 2021 defeat includes criticism of its political and organisational choices.
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assessment → include → choices
It has also accused unnamed actors of undermining democratic choice and pointed to what it describes as electoral corruption and disinformation.
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it → accuse → corruption
Those are the PJD’s explanations for the result, rather than independently established findings.
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Those → establish → findings
But the scale of its losses forced the party to confront how far its record in government had separated it from parts of its former support base.
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record → force → base
That matters particularly when it comes to younger voters.
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it → matter → voters
Imane Traifi, 37, of the PJD Youth, said the party needed to create sustained opportunities for young people to take part in political life rather than treating them simply as voters during election campaigns.
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people → say → campaigns
“We are keen to ensure that young people move from being recipients to becoming participants, initiators and people who take on responsibility,” she told Al Jazeera.
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she → ensure → Jazeera
However, a question for any future PJD government is not only what it would seek to change, but what it could change once in office.
uncertain
it → seek → office
Benkirane repeatedly referred to “ghosts and crocodiles” as a metaphor for powerful or hidden interests that he said had obstructed his government when it was in power.
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it → refer → power
The PJD has campaigned against Morocco’s normalisation with Israel and continues to support the Palestinian cause.
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PJD → campaign → cause
Its 2026 programme explicitly calls for opposition to normalisation.
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programme → call → normalisation
…and 21 more, not listed.
The Aporia
