Casablanca – Morocco’s Istiqlal (independence) Party is entering the September 23, 2026 legislative election after five years as a member of the country’s governing coalition, placing its current campaign in the context of both its long political history and its record in government since the 2021 parliamentary vote.

The party was the third-largest political force in the House of Representatives after the 2021 election, winning 81 of the chamber’s 395 seats. The National Rally of Independents (RNI) won 102 seats, while the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) secured 87. The three parties subsequently formed the governing coalition, making Istiqlal one of the three main components of the government during the current parliamentary term.

The September 23 election will again cover all 395 seats in the House of Representatives, with 27 political parties competing nationwide. More than 15.8 million voters are registered, according to the official electoral figures, while the campaign period runs from September 10 through midnight on September 22. The vote will establish the composition of the next parliament and provide the basis for the formation of the next government.

For Istiqlal, the election comes with a different set of circumstances from those surrounding the 2021 vote. The party is no longer campaigning solely as a political formation seeking parliamentary representation. It is also seeking support after participating in the executive for an entire parliamentary term. Its campaign consequently combines proposals for the next five years with a political record that voters can assess alongside those of its coalition partners.

Istiqlal has placed economic and social issues at the center of its electoral programme for 2026–2031. Purchasing power, employment, healthcare, housing, social assistance, water management and food security feature prominently among its stated priorities. The party has also highlighted investment, support for the middle class, wages, pensions and measures intended to address pressures on household budgets.

Purchasing power has emerged as one of the most visible themes in the party’s campaign. Istiqlal representatives have linked consumer prices to several factors, including the gap between prices received by farmers and those paid by consumers. The issue places food prices within a wider discussion about agricultural distribution channels, market organization and household incomes.

Employment is another central issue as the September vote approaches. Morocco has continued to record economic growth and major investment, but unemployment, particularly among young people, remains a significant concern in the political debate. The question of whether economic expansion is translating into sufficient employment opportunities has become an important element of the wider electoral discussion.

Istiqlal’s programme is structured around five broad areas that include purchasing power, public services, youth employment, the integrity of public life and strategic sovereignty. The party has also presented proposals covering the family, the fight against corruption, housing and access to essential services. Its economic proposals extend to investment procedures, productive capacity, water and energy.

The party’s current programme is being presented against the background of a changing Moroccan economy. The country is continuing to invest in transport, tourism, energy, manufacturing and other productive sectors while preparing for major international events, including the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Social protection programmes have also expanded in recent years, creating a broader policy environment in which questions of employment, public services and household purchasing power remain prominent.

Istiqlal’s political identity, however, extends considerably beyond its current government role. The party emerged from Morocco’s nationalist movement and has historically associated its political identity with the struggle for independence. The January 11, 1944 independence manifesto occupies a central place in its historical narrative, followed by years of political mobilization and resistance before Morocco regained independence in 1955.

Following independence, Istiqlal developed into a nationwide political organization with structures extending beyond its traditional political base. The party maintains local branches as well as organizations representing women, young people, professionals, workers, entrepreneurs and elected officials. According to its organizational information, it has around 1,300 local branches and more than 290,000 members.

Its women’s organization was established in 1988 and has more than 170 branches, while its youth organization dates back to 1956 and has more than 220 branches. These structures form part of the party’s organizational network as it conducts its campaign across local and regional constituencies.

The party’s stated political principles include Morocco’s territorial unity, its cultural and linguistic identity, democratic participation within the constitutional monarchy, individual freedoms, responsible citizenship and social solidarity. It also emphasizes reducing economic and social inequalities and strengthening public services.

The September election places these longstanding principles alongside the practical questions raised by the party’s participation in government since 2021. Istiqlal has been part of the same governing majority as RNI and PAM, but the three parties are competing separately in the 2026 election. Their positions after the vote will therefore depend on the number of seats each obtains and on the subsequent process of government formation.

The relationship among the three governing parties is particularly relevant to the electoral contest. Their coalition has governed Morocco since the 2021 election, but each party is now seeking its own electoral mandate and parliamentary representation. The September vote will consequently provide a new distribution of seats among the three parties and the other political formations competing for representation.

Morocco’s constitutional framework provides that the head of government is appointed from the political party that comes first in the election. The formation of the executive then depends on the ability to assemble a parliamentary majority. The election results will therefore determine both the composition of the House of Representatives and the relative negotiating positions of the parties during the post-election government formation process.

Istiqlal’s 81 seats in 2021 established it as the third-largest party in the chamber and made it one of the central components of the governing coalition. The September 23 election will provide a new measure of its parliamentary representation after a full term in government.

The party is campaigning on a combination of established political themes and proposals aimed at current economic and social concerns. Its programme addresses household purchasing power and employment while also placing attention on public services, strategic sectors, water and energy security, investment and social policy. This approach connects its historical emphasis on social solidarity with issues that are currently central to the electoral debate.

The broader election is taking place at a time when Morocco is pursuing major infrastructure and investment programmes. Transport networks are being expanded, tourism capacity is increasing, renewable energy projects are developing, and preparations for the 2030 World Cup are supporting additional infrastructure spending. At the same time, employment creation and the distribution of economic opportunities remain important issues for political parties and voters.

For Istiqlal, participation in the outgoing government means that the September campaign is taking place against the record of a governing coalition in which it has played a direct role. Its electoral programme now sets out priorities for the 2026–2031 period, while its 2021 result provides the most recent benchmark for its parliamentary strength.

The election will also establish whether the political balance created in 2021 is maintained or changes. RNI, PAM and Istiqlal remain the three parties that formed the current government, but the September 23 vote will determine their new parliamentary weight. The results will also shape the broader balance among the country’s political parties and the negotiations that follow the vote.

Istiqlal therefore enters the election with several elements defining its position: a long-standing presence in Moroccan political life, a nationwide organizational structure, five years of participation in government and the status of third-largest party after the 2021 election. Its campaign for September 23 focuses on purchasing power, employment, public services, social protection and strategic economic priorities, while the election itself will determine the party’s representation in the next House of Representatives and its position in Morocco’s next governing arrangement.