The parliamentary elections that took place in Morocco on 25 November 2011 could mark the beginning of a new phase in the transition of the country towards greater democracy. These elections did not attract the same international attention that was paidto the Tunisian elections of last October and the first round of the Egyptian consultations. Nevertheless, they are significant in pointing at where the country is heading nine months after the eruption of popular protests in the kingdom.

The electoral process in Morocco has been first and foremost a test of whether the population continues to have faith in the monarchy and its approach to gradual reforms. The net result is rather confused and uncertain, with certain elements that can be produced as evidence of the exceptionalism of the country in the region. In order to understand where the country is heading and possibly to foresee the next steps in the transition, it is important to analyse these endogenous elements.