Morocco's Istiqlal Party Unveils 99 Economic Measures for 2026 Elections
Economists Abdellatif Maâzouz and Ryad Mezzour presented 99 economic measures from Istiqlal's electoral program 'Our Country, Our Future': investment reform, strategic fuel reserves and marriage aid, ahead of Morocco's September 23, 2026 legislative election.
Economists Abdellatif Maâzouz and Ryad Mezzour, speaking on behalf of the Alliance of Istiqlal Economists (AEI), unveiled on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, 99 measures forming the economic backbone of the Istiqlal party's electoral program, "Our Country, Our Future," ahead of Morocco's legislative elections scheduled for September 23, 2026. Ryad Mezzour, currently Minister of Industry and Trade, is running as an Istiqlal candidate in the election.
From pricing to investment and strategic sovereignty
For Abdellatif Maâzouz, purchasing power depends first on the economy's ability to create added value and jobs. Ryad Mezzour focuses on how prices are formed, particularly in food supply chains where a single operator can control several links from production to distribution, and proposes tying any public subsidy to an actual drop in the price paid by consumers. On investment, he acknowledges that some investors wait up to 18 months to obtain necessary permits, and calls for simplified administration that gives preference to Moroccan companies and engineers when they offer equivalent added value, without closing the market to foreign players.
Strategic sovereignty in water, energy, food, pharmaceuticals and technology occupies a central place in the program, with a target strategic fuel stock covering up to 90 days, to be built up over two years, alongside measuring the value produced per cubic meter of water and seawater desalination.
Key pillars of the 'Our Country, Our Future' program
| Pillar | Concrete measure |
|---|---|
| Purchasing power | Regulating price formation, tying subsidies to the price paid by consumers |
| Investment | Cutting permit delays, currently up to 18 months |
| Industry | Preference for Moroccan firms and engineers at equivalent added value |
| Energy sovereignty | Strategic fuel stock covering 90 days within two years |
| Water | Measuring value per cubic meter and seawater desalination |
| Family and social services | 5,000-dirham marriage grant, universal preschool, expanded healthcare map |
| Governance and transparency | Enforcing mandatory asset declarations for officials |
Why this matters
The announcement comes amid a tightly contested election campaign in which parties are competing to present costed economic programs, after the PAM party unveiled its own 350-billion-dirham, five-year electoral program. The strategic fuel reserve pillar carries particular weight following Morocco's recent hike in diesel and gasoline prices, making energy supply security a concrete issue beyond campaign rhetoric. To gauge the credibility of these pledges, Maâzouz points to the Istiqlal-led government under Abbas El Fassi, which governed for only four years but, he says, delivered 80% of its commitments, while Mezzour states that the first decision of a future Istiqlal-led government would be to enforce mandatory asset declarations for officials.