Authenticity and Modernity Party

The political party was founded in 2008.{{cite book|author1=Bruce Maddy-Weitzman|author2=Daniel Zisenwine|title=Contemporary Morocco: State, Politics and Society Under Mohammmed VI|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WMsTiP8rTsUC&pg=PA20|accessdate=10 October 2014|year=2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-69546-6|page=20}} Its first constitutive congress took place on 20 February 2009.{{cite web|title=Organizations|date=18 April 2013 |url=http://www.maroc.ma/en/content/organisations|publisher=Maroc|accessdate=10 October 2014}} It was preceded by the Authenticity and Modernity parliamentary bloc, formed after the 2007 parliamentary election, and the think tank "Movement of All Democrats"{{Cite book |first1=Laura|last1=Feliu|first2=Maria Angustias|last2=Parejo|chapter=Morocco: The reinvention of an authoritarian system|title=Political Regimes in the Arab World: Society and the Exercise of Power|publisher=Routledge |year=2013|page=73}} (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.{{cite news|last=Riley |title=Palace insider set to form new party |url=https://dazzlepod.com/cable/08RABAT54/ |accessdate=14 November 2013 |newspaper=Embassy Rabat |date=18 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204002250/https://dazzlepod.com/cable/08RABAT54/ |archivedate=4 February 2014 }}

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.{{Cite book |first=Bernabé |last=López García |title=Morocco: regime and fuse |work=Political Regimes in the Arab World: Society and the Exercise of Power |publisher=Routledge |year=2013 |pages=101–102}} The formation's main objective was to hit back at the rise of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD).{{Cite book |author=James N. Sater |title=New wine in old bottles: political parties under Mohammed VI|work=Contemporary Morocco: State, Politics and Society under Mohammed VI|publisher=Routledge|year=2012|pages=19–21}} It has been characterised as reform-oriented and modernist, 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.

As a royal 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. Despite being its factual leader, El Himma has not taken up a formal post in the party.

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",{{cite news|last=Kaplan |title=Palace party seeks to dominate the Moroccan political scene |url=https://dazzlepod.com/cable/09RABAT877/ |accessdate=8 December 2013 |date=28 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216083200/https://dazzlepod.com/cable/09RABAT877/ |archivedate=16 December 2013 }} 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.{{cite news|title=القضاء يحسم في عدم دور القصر في تأسيس الأصالة والمعاصرة ويغرم القادري ب 400 مليون سنتيم لصالح الهمة|url=http://alifpost.com/%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%87%D8%A9/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%85-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%85-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D8%A3%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84|accessdate=8 December 2013|newspaper=Alifpost|date=7 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210233511/http://alifpost.com/%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%87%D8%A9/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B6%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%B3%D9%85-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%85-%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D8%A3%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B3-%D8%A7%D9%84|archive-date=10 December 2013|url-status=usurped}} Abdellah El Kadiri was president of one of the political parties that merged itself into the Authenticity and Modernity Party.

Mohamed Cheikh Biadillah was elected as the first secretary-general on 22 February 2009.{{Cite news |title=Moroccan new party elects first secretary general|work=People's Daily Online|date=23 February 2009 |url=http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90855/6599204.html|accessdate=6 January 2012}}

In the 2009 communal elections, the party won the greatest number of seats, replacing the Istiqlal Party as the leading force.{{Cite report |title=The report: Morocco 2009|publisher=Oxford Business Group|year=2009|page=14}} 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.{{Cite book |first=Anouar|last=Boukhars|title=Politics in Morocco: Executive Monarchy and Enlightened Authoritarianism|publisher=Routledge |year=2011 |pages=76, 78}}

On the eve of the 2011 parliamentary election the PAM formed an alliance with seven other political parties of very disparate political outlooks{{cite web

|title=A la veille des élections Alliance de huit partis politiques sans lien idéologique

|work=Marpresse

|date=10 June 2011

|url=http://www.marpresse.com/2011/10/a-la-veille-des-elections-alliance-de-huit-partis-politiques-sans-lien-ideologique/

|accessdate=30 October 2011

|url-status=dead

|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130128054530/http://www.marpresse.com/2011/10/a-la-veille-des-elections-alliance-de-huit-partis-politiques-sans-lien-ideologique/

|archivedate=28 January 2013

}} called the "Alliance for Democracy". The party won 47 out of 325 seats in the election, becoming the fourth-largest party in the parliament.{{cite web|title=Morocco |url=http://www.europeanforum.net/country/morocco |work=European Forum |accessdate=10 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910053106/http://www.europeanforum.net/country/morocco |archivedate=10 September 2014 }} After the victory of the Islamist PJD, the PAM announced it would go into opposition.{{Cite news |title=Party of Authenticity and Modernity Not to Participate in Upcoming Government|work=Morocco World News|date=27 November 2011|url=http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2011/11/16667/party-of-authenticity-and-modernity-not-to-participate-in-upcoming-government/|accessdate=6 January 2013}}

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.{{Cite news |last= |date=2021-09-09 |title=Morocco elections: Islamists suffer losses as liberal parties gain ground |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/09/islamists-suffer-losses-as-liberal-parties-gain-ground-in-morocco-elections |access-date=2023-12-17 |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |date=2021-09-09 |title=Islamists suffer crushing defeat in Moroccan parliamentary elections |url=https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20210909-islamists-suffer-crushing-defeat-in-moroccan-parliamentary-elections |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=France 24 |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2024-01-03 |title=Speculations surround Ouahbi's resignation, as PAM convenes amid arrest of key members |url=https://en.hespress.com/77523-speculations-surround-ouahbis-resignation-as-pam-convenes-amid-arrest-of-key-members.html |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=HESPRESS English - Morocco News |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2023-12-22 |title=Wydad president, dozen others arrested amid 'escobar of the desert' drug trafficking scandal |url=https://en.hespress.com/76862-wydad-president-dozen-others-arrested-amid-escobar-of-the-desert-drug-trafficking-scandal.html |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=HESPRESS English - Morocco News |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |date=2023-12-31 |title=Moroccan political and business leaders caught up in international drug trafficking case |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/en/le-monde-africa/article/2023/12/31/moroccan-political-and-business-leaders-caught-up-in-international-drug-trafficking-case_6389854_124.html |access-date=2024-01-07 |work=Le Monde.fr |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Zouiten |first=Sara |date=22 December 2023 |title=WAC President, Regional Council Chief Detained in Drug, Financial Crimes Case |url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2023/12/359705/wac-president-regional-council-chief-detained-in-drug-financial-crimes-case |work=Morocco World News}}

{{Reflist|33em}}

• {{Cite journal|first=Ferdinand|last=Eibl|title=The party of authenticity and modernity (PAM): trajectory of a political deus ex machina|journal=The Journal of North African Studies|volume=17|issue=1|year=2012|pages=45–66 |doi=10.1080/13629387.2011.582698|s2cid=144623545}}
• {{Cite journal|first=James|last=Liddell|title=Morocco: Modern Politics or the Politics of Modernity?|journal=Sada|publisher=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace|date=3 December 2008|url=https://carnegieendowment.org/sada/2008/12/morocco-modern-politics-or-the-politics-of-modernity?lang=en|access-date=6 January 2013}}

{{Moroccan political parties}}

Category:2008 establishments in Morocco

Category:Liberal parties in Morocco

Category:Monarchist parties in Morocco

Category:Political parties established in 2008

Category:Political parties in Morocco

Category:Social liberal parties

Category:Syncretic political parties