As the Moroccan parliamentary elections approach on September 23, 2026, the Party for Authenticity and Modernity (PAM) is solidifying its claim to lead a future government. On September 21, 2026, the party's coordinator for its collective leadership, Fatima Zahra El Mansouri, outlined the election program that aims to elevate PAM from a mere coalition partner to a principal architect of state policy. Under the rallying cry of "Course Change," PAM presents a platform built on five foundational pillars and 20 specific commitments, signaling its intent to reshape Morocco's political landscape.
The party's official objective is to restore transparency and proximity to citizens in governance. El Mansouri articulated to the MAP news agency that political efforts should be measured by tangible results and accountability. There exists a palpable disconnection between younger voters and political institutions, a gap that PAM seeks to bridge by delving deeply into the social and financial architecture of the nation.
However, the call for a "Course Change" carries its own political implications. PAM does not emerge from the opposition; it has been part of the ruling coalition in Rabat alongside the National Rally of Independents (RNI) and the Istiqlal Party since the 2021 elections. El Mansouri currently holds the significant portfolio for housing and urban development in the existing cabinet.
The party's leadership is now navigating a delicate balancing act as it demands full responsibility for governmental affairs. On one hand, it must defend the achievements of the current coalition, while on the other hand, it must announce substantial corrections to distinguish itself from its coalition partner, RNI. This strategic move indicates PAM's desire to shed its role as a junior partner and claim the prime ministerial office for itself.
At the heart of PAM's initiative is a five-year plan worth 150 billion Moroccan dirhams, aimed at bolstering purchasing power amid ongoing pressure on the cost of living for Moroccan households. Immediate measures include interventions to stabilize essential food prices and the assumption of electricity bills up to 100 dirhams per month for socially disadvantaged groups.
Simultaneously, PAM proposes a comprehensive overhaul of the tax system, reducing the current six income tax brackets to three. Under this model, income tax would be entirely eliminated for gross salaries below 15,000 dirhams, while a 10% tax rate would be applied for salaries ranging from 15,000 to 46,000 dirhams, with incomes above this threshold facing a 20% tax rate.
This purchasing power pact is complemented by social sector adjustments, including raising the minimum pension to at least 3,000 dirhams and establishing a base amount of 1,000 dirhams for direct social assistance. Moreover, the criteria for receiving social benefits are set to gradually shift from index-based calculations to the actual real income of households.
Another focal point of the agenda is the 18 to 29 age group. Through the so-called "Integration Path," PAM aims to support youth who are neither in education nor employment. A unified national registration platform will link individual assessments, social support, and concrete integration contracts, with the goal of ensuring that no school dropout is left without alternative educational or qualification opportunities.
To facilitate the professional mobility of young people, PAM plans to establish a public fund to secure rental housing and introduce a mobility pass that subsidizes transport and temporary accommodation costs. Furthermore, the citizen pact promises the creation of at least one million net jobs throughout the five-year legislative period.
On the public infrastructure front, the election program pledges the construction of four new regional university hospitals by the end of 2028 and the provision of adequate housing for 500,000 families. The proposal also includes an expansion of preschool education starting at age four and a stronger recognition of Amazigh as an official language.
To fully understand PAM's leadership claim, it is essential to consider the party's origins. PAM was founded in August 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, a classmate of King Mohammed VI and former secretary of state in the Ministry of Interior. El Himma established PAM as a movement to unite technocratic and regional elites, serving as a secular counterbalance to the then-dominant Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) in parliament.
Although El Himma resigned from all party functions in 2011 after being appointed as an official advisor to the king, aiming to uphold the constitutional neutrality of the monarchy, PAM still carries the label of a palace-affiliated formation in political perception. Today, under Fatima Zahra El Mansouri's leadership, PAM's claim to govern intertwines a legacy of reliable state proximity with the image of an independent, reform-oriented people’s party.
The financing of these ambitious social initiatives necessitates a significant acceleration in economic performance. In its growth and sustainability pact, PAM aims for an average annual economic growth rate of 5% from 2027 to 2031. Between 2022 and 2025, the average increase in GDP was approximately 3.7%. Given an estimated employment elasticity of growth of 0.53%, each additional percentage point of growth would theoretically translate to around 53,000 net jobs. By 2031, the unemployment rate is projected to be reduced to 7%.
Despite the intended increases in spending and tax reductions, the party has outlined strict macroeconomic parameters. PAM leadership emphasizes that a solid economic foundation is a prerequisite for any sustainable social policy. How this balance will be achieved between lower revenues from tax reform and increased social transfer payments while simultaneously consolidating public debt remains a central question in the economic policy debate.
Preparation for the elections has been systematic. An internal election committee has analyzed data and candidate profiles across all electoral districts for about 15 months. The program itself originates from the party’s own academy and has been discussed in regional party structures and local consultations prior to its approval in the national council.
PAM's political ambitions reflect its desire to shed its role as a coalition partner and to directly shape the country's political agenda from the cabinet's helm. The outcome of the elections on September 23 will reveal whether this commitment catalog resonates with voters and whether PAM can successfully navigate the tension between shared governmental responsibility and the promise of a fresh start at the ballot box.
As reported by maghreb-post.de.
