Morocco Elections 2026 — UC: a favourable climate for diaspora investment, but an MRE agenda still taking shape

A recognisable philosophy, but a scattered diaspora offer

MMNEWS assessed three types of material: UC leaders’ public priorities for the 2026 election, formal party statements from recent years and measures that can safely be attributed to the current campaign.

The distinction matters. UC has a clear economic identity centred on enterprise, private initiative, investment and Morocco’s attractiveness. The party has also repeatedly acknowledged the economic and social role of citizens living abroad.

In November 2024, its political bureau welcomed plans to overhaul the governance of diaspora affairs. It linked that reform to meeting MRE expectations and integrating Moroccans abroad more closely into Morocco’s development and investment momentum. Earlier party statements had also supported easier travel and visits for diaspora families.

Together, these positions show genuine awareness. They do not yet amount to a complete electoral contract for 2026.

What is verifiable as of 5 September 2026

UC prepared an electoral programme and its senior figures have begun outlining economic and social priorities. Deputy secretary-general El Hassan Abyaba has advocated continuity for policies that work and correction for those that have reached their limits. Political bureau member El Habib Dekkak has highlighted universal healthcare, territorial fairness, youth and the party’s electoral presence.

Those statements help locate UC’s overall project, but they do not provide a dedicated policy for Moroccans abroad. As of the review date, the party’s official website did not offer a complete 2026 document containing verifiable measures across MMNEWS’s nine MRE criteria.

The precise conclusion is therefore this: MMNEWS could not identify a complete and publicly accessible official programme in the sources consulted by the date of this assessment. That does not mean UC has no programme. It means the score can cover only material that is public, attributable and verifiable.

Investment is UC’s strongest potential contribution

Economics offers the clearest route between UC’s identity and diaspora needs. A party committed to investment, productive enterprise and simpler administration could address several obstacles faced by MRE entrepreneurs: slow procedures, multiple points of contact, uncertain processing times and weak support after a project is launched.

UC’s political bureau has explicitly linked Moroccans abroad to Morocco’s investment and development momentum. This is a positive and relevant position. It treats the diaspora as a source not only of remittances, but also of businesses, expertise and long-term partnerships.

The missing step is delivery. A dedicated MRE one-stop service, enforceable deadlines, regional case managers, an appeal channel and measurable targets would turn a liberal preference into a specific commitment.

Voting and representation: historical openness, no identified 2026 mechanism

UC has not been entirely absent from the debate over diaspora citizenship. In 2021, a representative of the party was among Moroccan party officials abroad who called for effective parliamentary representation after a proposed amendment failed.

That episode documents support within the party’s wider political environment. Five years later, it is not sufficient evidence that UC officially proposes overseas constituencies, a defined number of diaspora seats or direct voting from countries of residence.

For the 23 September election, an MRE voter may create a proxy online, but the appointed person must still cast the ballot in Morocco. A complete UC offer would therefore need to state whether it supports this system, consular polling stations, secure electronic voting or dedicated parliamentary representation.

MMNEWS gives credit for the party’s earlier openness and its general support for participation. The score remains limited because no formal 2026 mechanism has been identified.

Consular services: governance acknowledged, delivery unspecified

UC’s endorsement of new diaspora governance is relevant because it recognises the need for better institutional coordination.

For a Moroccan in Paris, Brussels, Montreal, Madrid, Amsterdam or Dubai, however, reform is experienced through daily services: appointments, document renewals, civil-status records, certification, complaints and processing times.

The reviewed material does not identify an UC plan for end-to-end digital services, response-time standards, case tracking or an independent appeal route. The reform direction is visible; the service model is not yet defined.

Mobility and the relationship with Morocco

Earlier UC communications paid visible attention to diaspora mobility. The party supported facilitating MRE visits and presented direct air links as a practical bridge between Morocco and communities abroad.

That focus reflects the past government experience of several party figures in tourism and aviation. It also addresses a real concern: prices, route capacity and travel predictability directly shape how often families can return.

MMNEWS does not count those earlier statements as a 2026 promise because no current fare measure, route commitment, service obligation or timetable was identified. They remain part of a policy tradition on which UC could build.

Pensions, social protection and return

UC promotes broad social priorities, including health, territorial fairness and improved conditions for pensioners. These issues can benefit Moroccans abroad, particularly those considering a return or combining careers in several countries.

Yet a national pension policy is not automatically a diaspora policy. Bilateral social-security agreements, pension portability, contribution periods, healthcare during visits and administrative support for return require specific cross-border rules.

No sufficiently detailed mechanisms were identified in the accessible material. The same applies to savings, remittances and resettlement: their importance is acknowledged, without a dedicated financial product, administrative pathway or protection framework.

Younger generations and diaspora expertise

UC’s general emphasis on youth, training and skills could support a stronger MRE agenda. It could connect younger generations to Morocco through language, culture, internships, entrepreneurship, research and temporary professional missions.

The party’s relationships within African liberal networks could also provide channels for Moroccan experts based in Europe, North America, Africa and the Gulf.

At present, no sufficiently specific diaspora mechanism has been identified. The potential is present, but it still needs beneficiaries, tools and measurable goals.

MMNEWS MRE score: 40%

Why 40%?

The score rewards three elements: UC’s consistent recognition of the diaspora’s economic and social role, its political bureau’s support for renewed governance, and a liberal position compatible with the needs of overseas investors and entrepreneurs.

It remains below the halfway mark because the nine MRE issues are not brought together in a complete 2026 programme. Voting, representation, consular services, social-security agreements, return and younger generations lack sufficiently specific current mechanisms.

The score can be revised if UC publishes a more detailed programme before the election. MMNEWS credits a new measure when it identifies the beneficiary, instrument, responsible authority and timetable.

The MMNEWS verdict

UC has natural ground on which to build a credible MRE policy: investment, economic openness, mobility and administrative simplification. It has also acknowledged the need to integrate the diaspora more effectively into governance and national development.

Its task now is to turn scattered positions into a readable contract. A small set of targeted measures — overseas voting, a unified administrative gateway, regional support for investors, portability of social rights and a diaspora-skills programme — would quickly make its offer more substantial.

The foundation exists. Moroccans abroad are still waiting for the operating plan.

MMNEWS MRE score: 40%.