Authenticity and Modernity Party

The Authenticity and Modernity Party (Arabic: حزب الأصالة والمعاصرة, romanized: ḥizb al-ʾaṣāla wa-l-muʿāṣira; Standard Moroccan Tamazight: ⴰⵎⵓⵍⵍⵉ ⵏ ⵜⴰⵥⵖⵓⵕⵜ ⴷ ⵜⴰⵎⵜⵔⴰⵔⵜ, romanized: amulli n taẓɣoṛt d tamtrart; French: Parti authenticité et modernité, PAM) is a political party in Morocco. It was founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, an advisor to King Mohammed VI, and it has been perceived by its opponents and the press as being backed and directed by the monarchy.^[1][6] As such, it has been accused of having little ideology except for support of the monarchy, although some of its policies have been described as socially liberal.^[3]

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.^[7]

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.^[8][9][10]

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.^[11] 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.^[12][13]

The political party was founded in 2008.^[14] Its first constitutive congress took place on 20 February 2009.^[15] It was preceded by the Authenticity and Modernity parliamentary bloc, formed after the 2007 parliamentary election, and the think tank "Movement of All Democrats"^[16] (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 Akhenouch, 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.^[17]

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.^[18] The formation's main objective was to hit back at the rise of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD).^[4] It has been characterised as reform-oriented and modernist,^[1] 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.^[4]

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.^[18] Despite being its factual leader, El Himma has not taken up a formal post in the party.^[4]

Although Fouad Ali El Himma, a close friend of Mohammed VI, was key in the foundation of the party and many observers—including the American ambassador in Morocco—have described the party as "the palace party",^[19] 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.^[20] El Kadiri was president of one of the political parties that merged with the Authenticity and Modernity Party.^[20]

Mohamed Cheikh Biadillah was elected as the first secretary-general on 22 February 2009.^[21]

In the 2009 communal elections, the party won the greatest number of seats, replacing the Istiqlal Party as the leading force.^[22] 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.^[23]

On the eve of the 2011 parliamentary election the PAM formed an alliance with seven other political parties of very disparate political outlooks^[24] called the "Alliance for Democracy". The party won 47 out of 325 seats in the election, becoming the fourth-largest party in the parliament.^[25] After the Islamist PJD formed a coalition government, the PAM announced it would sit in the opposition.^[26]

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.^{[27][28][29][30][31][32]}

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.^[33] In September 2024, the party created an Amazigh commission stemming from its National Council and entrusted its presidency to Bouhaddouz.^[34][35]

• Eibl, Ferdinand (2012). "The party of authenticity and modernity (PAM): trajectory of a political deus ex machina". The Journal of North African Studies. 17 (1): 45–66. doi:10.1080/13629387.2011.582698. S2CID 144623545.
• Liddell, James (3 December 2008). "Morocco: Modern Politics or the Politics of Modernity?". Sada. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved 6 January 2013.