Road to Recovery: What Morocco’s PJD Learned From Its Stunned Electoral Defeat

Abdelilah Benkirane, who served as Morocco’s head of government from 2012 to 2017, now leads the Justice and Development Party (PJD) as it seeks to recover from its 2021 electoral defeat. The 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, winning 107 of the 395 seats in Parliament in the November 2011 election after protests called for political reform and greater accountability.

Following Morocco’s 2011 constitutional changes, which expanded parliamentary powers while retaining significant authority for the monarchy, Benkirane became head of government. In the 2016 election, the PJD increased its seats to 125, but Benkirane spent months unable to form a coalition, leading King Mohammed VI to end his mandate in March 2017 and appoint Saadeddine Othmani to replace him. The PJD remained in government until its collapse in September 2021, when it plummeted from 125 seats to just 13, while the National Rally of Independents (RNI) won 102 seats to become the largest party.

Returning under Benkirane, a recognized political figure and "brand," the PJD is attempting to rebuild its support base. Its 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. Saad al-Sabahi, working with the PJD’s regional secretariat in Casablanca-Settat, noted that the programme was developed through extensive consultations to address critical sectors affecting Moroccan citizens.

Internal reorganisation and self-assessment have been major priorities following the 2021 defeat, alongside addressing voter alienation, particularly among younger populations. Imane Traifi and Yassine Elachiri of the PJD Youth emphasized the necessity of moving past short-term campaign mobilization to build lasting, trust-based relationships and active political participation for young people.

Looking ahead, the party faces persistent political complexities, notably regarding its longstanding opposition to normalisation with Israel, even as Morocco's diplomatic ties and embassy-level relations continue to advance following agreements made while Saadeddine Othmani was head of government. Operating strictly within Morocco's existing constitutional framework and supporting the monarchy, the PJD aims to prove its capability to deliver practical solutions and restore citizens' rights.