Authenticity and Modernity Party

Establishment

The political party was founded in 2008.^[11] Its first constitutive congress took place on 20 February 2009.^[12] It was preceded by the Authenticity and Modernity parliamentary bloc, formed after the 2007 parliamentary election, and the think tank "Movement of All Democrats"^[13] (Mouvement de Tous les Démocrats, MTD), both created and led by El Himma. "The Movement of All Democrats" creation communiqué was signed by a number of influential Moroccan public figures including: Aziz Akhannouch, Mustapha Bakkoury, Ahmed Akhchichine, Rachid Talbi Alami, Mohamed Cheikh Biadillah and three human rights activists who had served on Mohammed VI's Equity and Reconciliation Commission which investigated human rights abuses during Hassan II's reign.^[14]

A number of political parties merged into PAM: Al Ahd, the National Democratic Party (PND), the Alliance of Liberties, the Environment and Development Party and the Civic Initiative for Development.^[15] The formation's main objective was to hit back at the rise of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD).^[5] It has been characterised as reform-oriented and modernist,^[3] but lacks a clear political orientation. It positioned itself between the parties of the Istiqlal Party-led coalition and the oppositional PJD. Because of uncertainties about the organisation's ideology and political strategy, the PND and al-Ahd left it again a short time after they had joined.^[5]

As a royalist party aimed at maintaining the dominant role of the monarch, it can be compared to the Front for the Defence of Constitutional Institutions (FDIC) of the 1960s, the National Rally of Independents (RNI) of the 1970s and the Constitutional Union (UC) of the 1980s.^[15] Despite being its factual leader, El Himma has not taken up a formal post in the party.^[5]

Controversies

Although Fouad Ali El Himma, a close friend of Mohammed VI, was key in the foundation of the party and many observers,^[16] a Moroccan court sentenced politician Abdellah El Kadiri to a fine of 4 million Dirhams (US$500,000) after it judged that alleging that the Palace had a role in the foundation of the party amounts to slander.^[17] El Kadiri was president of one of the political parties that merged with the Authenticity and Modernity Party.^[17]

Development since 2009

Mohamed Cheikh Biadillah was elected as the first secretary-general on 22 February 2009.^[18]

In the 2009 communal elections, the party won the greatest number of seats, replacing the Istiqlal Party as the leading force.^[19] Due to defections from other parties, the PAM became a major force in parliament. In October 2009, it took over the presidency of the House of Councillors.^[20]

On the eve of the 2011 parliamentary election the PAM formed an alliance with seven other political parties of very disparate political outlooks^[21] called the "Alliance for Democracy". The party won 47 out of 325 seats in the election, becoming the fourth-largest party in the parliament.^[22] After the Islamist PJD formed a coalition government, the PAM announced it would sit in the opposition.^[23]

The PAM won 102 seats in the October 2016 parliamentary election, an increase of 55, making it the second largest party.

The PAM won 87 seats in the 2021 parliamentary election, a fall of 15 seats since the last election, but still remaining the second largest party.^{[24][25][26][27][28][29]}

Political orientation

The Party of Authenticity and Modernity is generally classified within the political centre, with a social-liberal and reformist orientation, while some classifications place it in a centrist position with elements of the centre-left, owing to its advocacy of social democracy, the welfare state and social justice. However, the latter classification is not universally accepted, as the literature varies in determining the party's position on the political spectrum. This is partly related to the nature of its syncretic political framework, which combines constitutional monarchy, a market economy, social modernity and institutional reform. Political studies have also characterized the party as one of the political forces close to the monarchy within Morocco's political system. This distinguishes its position from that of the traditional Moroccan left and makes its political classification based on a combination of monarchical, reformist and modernist references rather than on an explicit alignment with either the political right or left.^[31]

Social issues and Amazighity

In its programmatic texts, the PAM highlights social democracy, modernization, the exercise of rights and freedoms, and the institutionalization of Amazigh as an official language.^[32]

On social issues, party leaders have publicly defended women's rights, gender equality, and privacy rights. In 2023, then secretary-general Abdellatif Ouahbi said the party would defend women's rights and freedoms, while in May 2024 he described hotels' requirement that Moroccan couples produce a marriage certificate as illegal and an infringement of privacy. In January 2025, the party's women's organization also launched a public-awareness campaign around reform of the family code.^[33][34][35]

On Amazigh issues, the party submitted a draft organic law in 2016 aimed at strengthening the officialization of Amazigh in education, public administration, public services, and the media.^[36] Ahead of the party's 5th national congress, Agraw for Amazighity, coordinated by Rachid Bouhaddouz, submitted a political paper calling on the PAM to play a more active role in supporting Amazigh demands within governmental and parliamentary action.^[37][38]

Amazigh commission

In January 2023, members of the PAM's National Council announced the creation of Agraw for Amazighity within the party, with Rachid Bouhaddouz as its national coordinator.^[39] In September 2024, the party created an Amazigh commission stemming from its National Council and entrusted its presidency to Bouhaddouz.^[40][41]

2019 crisis

In 2019, the party was engulfed in a crisis pitting Secretary-General Hakim Benchamach against several senior officials grouped within the «Appeal for the Future» current.

Benchamach proceeded to replace or exclude several regional officials. His opponents challenged the legality of these decisions and accused him of seeking to control the preparatory committee for the party's fourth congress.^[42]

In June 2019, members of the current brought the matter before the Rabat Court of First Instance to challenge several decisions taken by the General Secretariat.^[43]

A reconciliation was announced in December 2019 in order to allow preparations for the fourth congress to proceed.

Suspension of Salaheddine Aboulghali

In September 2024, the political bureau suspended Salaheddine Aboulghali from the party's collegial leadership following the referral of complaints to the party's ethics committee.

Aboulghali rejected the allegations and criticized the procedure followed by the party leadership. In October 2024, the National Council appointed Fatima Saadi to replace him.

Drug trafficking case

In December 2023, two members of the party were implicated in a case involving international drug trafficking. They were Saïd Naciri, former president of Wydad AC, and Abdenbi Bioui, president of the Oriental Regional Council. They were charged and placed in pre-trial detention by order of the investigating judge at the Casablanca Court of Appeal.

Moroccan Parliament

More information Election year, # of overall votes ...

House of Representatives
Election year	# of overall votes	% of overall vote	# of overall seats won	+/–	Leader
2011	524,386 (#4)	11.1	47 / 395	New	Mohamed Cheikh Biadillah
2016	1,205,444 (#2)	25.82	102 / 395	55	Ilyas El Omari
2021	1,385,230 (#2)	22.59	87 / 395	15	Abdellatif Ouahbi

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