In the bustling medina of Casablanca, a popular district, Mohammed, a 30-year-old hairdresser, struggles to make ends meet while working in a cramped salon barely cooled by a fan. He shares his modest apartment with three other individuals, reflecting on his living situation with a sense of resignation: "I live as if I were a student. There are four of us in my apartment, two per room, we lack privacy, and we are deprived of many essentials. My salary is insufficient if I want to get married or plan for the future." This sentiment underscores the growing frustration among the youth in Morocco, particularly in light of the announced increase in the minimum wage, which Mohammed feels is inadequate given the stagnation of purchasing power. According to the High Commission for Planning, purchasing power increased by only 1.6% per year on average from 2012 to 2024, leaving many like him disillusioned. "With less than 1,000 euros, you can’t do much in Casablanca, and with just 450 euros... renting an apartment and affording basic necessities is impossible," he laments.
Nearby, Hamza, a freelance videographer in his twenties, echoes similar sentiments of discontent as he navigates the precariousness of irregular income. He states, "This instability prevents you from attaining the dignified life you aspire to because you’re not working year-round. You might work one month and then have no activity for four months. It’s not stable at all." This uncertainty about the future has led both young men to disengage from the upcoming elections scheduled for September 23. Hamza expresses his disillusionment with the political landscape: "I’m not interested in the elections. I believe there are people who want to bring about change in this country, but they don’t reach us, and we have no access to them." This apathy is reflected in official statistics, which reveal that only 19% of voters aged 18-34 are on the electoral rolls, a decrease from 27% of the electorate in 2021.
As reported by fr.news.yahoo.com.
