Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe concludes pre-electoral mission in Morocco ahead of 2026 elections
A delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe PACE completed a three-day pre-electoral mission in Morocco on Wednesday, September 3, 2026, three weeks before the legislative elections scheduled for September 23. Led by Elisabetta Gardini, the delegation assessed the political, institutional, and media environment for the upcoming elections. Their consultations included meetings with authorities, constitutional institutions, civil society representatives, and media professionals, including Le Matin. Key discussion points focused on information pluralism, campaign coverage, access to electoral data, and challenges posed by social media, disinformation, and artificial intelligence. This mission is the first phase of PACE's observation process, with a larger delegation of twenty parliamentarians expected to return to Morocco to monitor the September 23 vote. PACE noted Morocco's considerable experience in organizing elections, praising legislative improvements aimed at greater inclusivity, particularly for women and youth, and the digitalization of certain procedures. They also highlighted new regulations addressing social media campaigns, disinformation, and AI-generated content. PACE expressed satisfaction with guarantees for election observation, ensuring accredited observers can access polling stations and monitor vote counting. While acknowledging the regulatory framework for media pluralism during elections, PACE emphasized that pluralism extends bey