HIBAPRESS – Mohamed Zerouih
The legislative election held on Wednesday in the Nador province witnessed a worrying phenomenon characterized by a high rate of abstention, particularly among the youth. Young people are registering a noticeable absence from the ballot boxes, which has opened the door to extensive discussions about the reasons behind this political decline and its implications.
Many specialists and experts agree that the intensive emigration that Nador province has experienced in recent years is the primary factor behind this abstention. The departure of large numbers of young people has created a clear demographic and political void within the local community.
Emigration was not isolated from the general economic context, as it was accompanied by a severe economic recession that directly impacted the living stability of families. This has led to daily concerns and the provision of livelihoods taking precedence over interest in political and electoral affairs.
Adding to these factors are the economic and social repercussions resulting from the closure of the border crossing of the occupied city of Melilla. This event has thwarted many livelihood and commercial activities and accelerated the emigration of broad age groups in search of alternative opportunities outside the province's borders.
In this context, researchers and political analysts believe that this situation has generated a general sense of frustration and loss of trust among young people in the ability of elected councils to change their economic and social reality. This has negatively reflected on participation rates and made political work seem detached from their true aspirations.
In conclusion, overcoming the crisis of electoral abstention in Nador requires serious strategies to restore public trust by creating a real economic dynamic and directing public policies that respond to the expectations of young people, to ensure their effective integration into the process of democratic and local development in the province.
