Could 'political switching' reshape Morocco's elections?

The phenomenon of "political switching" has returned to the forefront as the legislative elections scheduled for 23 September approach in Morocco.

In recent days, party rivalry has intensified, with political parties seeking to attract elected officials and leaders from other organisations to secure the largest possible number of seats in the next House of Representatives, the lower house of the Moroccan parliament.

While political switching in Morocco has become part of the electoral game and political practice for a significant number of MPs who have no qualms about changing their party affiliation on every occasion to secure a candidacy and a seat in parliament, the House of Representatives has witnessed political activity as the elections approach.

This has included the announcement of resignations and vacant seats among parties classified as part of the majority, with the number of "political switching" cases reaching 31.

At the same time, an open 'war' broke out between the National Rally of Independents (RNI), the leader of the current government coalition, and its ally in the majority, the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), particularly over attracting candidates.

The rivalry has been accompanied by mutual accusations over methods of recruitment and political switching.

The RNI political bureau expressed "deep concern" over what it said were efforts to entice and pressure MPs, elected officials and local party leaders, saying these practices went beyond the boundaries of normal political competition.

It pointed to the nomination of figures whom the party had previously announced as candidates for the upcoming elections.

In response, PAM rejected the accusations, saying that changing party affiliation was a guaranteed right, and defended the decision of several figures to join its ranks.

'Recruitment war'

While the "recruitment war" between the two parties expected to lead the political scene in Morocco after 23 September was one of the most prominent features of the political landscape on the eve of candidate registration for the upcoming elections, questions rose over whether political switching will reshape the political map during the 2026 elections and beyond.

In this context, Jawad Al-Shafdi, head of the Moroccan Observatory for Political Participation, a non-governmental organisation, said the strong return of political switching as the 2026 elections approach reveals that part of party competition has shifted from a battle over programmes and performance to a battle to attract candidates capable of bringing in votes and seats.

"The closer election day gets, the greater the electoral value of an MP or elected official who has a local base and a network of relationships, which makes some parties bet on attracting electorally ready figures instead of investing in the long term in developing their own elites and building their organisational reach," Al-Shafdi told* The New Arab.*

He noted that the movement of elected officials with local influence could alter the balance of power in some constituencies but would not by itself be enough to reshape the national political map.

Al-Shafdi further explained that the 2026 elections would be determined by a combination of factors, foremost among them organisational strength and territorial reach, the quality of candidates, performance, political discourse and the ability to mobilise on election day.

"Every party move should not be considered opportunistic behaviour, as it may be driven by genuine political and organisational disagreements. But when a move occurs weeks before an election and is followed by a candidacy under another party, it is legitimate to ask whether we are witnessing a political disagreement or a calculation related to endorsement and securing a seat," he added.

Dangers of political switching

He said he believed that the most dangerous aspect of political switching in Morocco was not only its potential impact on the distribution of seats but also its impact on citizens' trust in parties and the meaning of political affiliation itself.

He said that when a candidate becomes a "mobile electoral asset" moving between organisations, the political boundaries between them become less distinct in the eyes of voters.

This may strengthen the belief that competition revolves more around individuals and seats than around projects and ideas.

Accordingly, Al-Shafdi said the real challenge after 2026 would be to build parties that produce, train and retain their own elites, because a sustainable political map is not created by seasonal moves but by trust, organisation and a political project.

Meanwhile, political science and constitutional law researcher Mustafa Antara said he argued that the phenomenon of political switching in Morocco should not be reduced to elected officials moving from one party to another in search of a better opportunity to run for office.

Instead, it should be viewed as a symptom of a deeper crisis affecting the structure of party work and the nature of electoral competition.

Antara explained that the main problem was that political parties, in many cases, no longer set clear political, ideological or even ethical rules for the recruitment process.

He noted that, for a number of them, the electoral concern had become the search for local notables, local actors and major players who have money, influence, networks of relationships and the ability to bring in votes and seats.

"As a result, the party map, before every election, has come to resemble a 'political transfer market', in which elected officials, candidates and sometimes party leaders move from one party to another according to electoral and political calculations rather than conviction, a project, or a political reference," he continued. "More dangerously, this phenomenon is no longer limited to local elected officials or MPs. In some cases, it has extended to leaders within the executive bodies of parties, reflecting a degree of political fluidity that makes party affiliation itself open to repositioning whenever elections approach."

He said political switching did not necessarily reshape the political map based on genuine changes in voters' preferences but could instead lead to a redistribution of figures and candidates within the same party map.

Antara also told *TNA, *"We may see a party map in Morocco after the 2026 elections that appears different in terms of its composition and names, but that does not necessarily reflect a profound change in the direction of society or the nature of the competing political projects."

He noted that this was the most dangerous aspect of political switching because the continuation of the "political transfer market" gradually contributes to emptying party affiliation of its substance.

It makes the party, in the eyes of citizens, merely a means of reaching parliament or positions of responsibility, rather than a framework for political guidance, training, participation and creating alternatives.

"This practice strikes at the heart of the credibility of political work. How can citizens be convinced of the importance of electoral choice if some candidates can change their political affiliation from one election to another without their discourse, positions or convictions changing substantially?" Antara said.

He said the natural result would be greater political disengagement, particularly among younger generations, who, thanks to social media, have a greater ability to compare and track politicians' positions, careers and moves.

In Antara's view, the real challenge facing the 2026 elections was not only to determine which party would win the largest number of seats, but also whether the elections would succeed in restoring the importance of politics as a competition between projects and programmes or reinforce the logic of individuals, local notables and electoral switching.

"If this logic continues, we may find ourselves with a new political map in terms of names and positions, but an old one in terms of practice and logic," he added, further stressing that rebuilding trust in politics requires strong parties with clear references, capable of attracting members based on competence, conviction and programmes, rather than merely money, influence and electoral strength.

Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here.