Ideological fortresses and political considerations have collapsed; fortresses and considerations which some Moroccan political parties were hiding behind, under the pretexts of diverging references, backgrounds of establishment and motives of conflict. There are no longer barriers separating those entrenched on the left-wing, right-wing or center, as everyone is rushing in the direction of securing a situation of lesser concern from now until the date of legislative elections in 2012. The belief has become prevalent that fair elections will constitute a sieve that will break apart fragile partisan entities, and that the influence of the experience of political alternation, which brought the parties of the former opposition to power, could extend for a longer period of time, at least because a period of around four decades of opposition cannot be dispelled in less than ten years. Yet the time of tumult and local classifications has ended without permission from any party. It is a noteworthy paradox for a political party such as the Socialist Union, with a left-wing reference, to desperately seek after alliances with Islamic and right-wing leaders, while on the other hand the role of the Democratic Bloc, which included it alongside former political allies in the opposition, has receded. Indeed, its resounding failure at the 2007 elections may have had a substantial influence on this new direction taking shape. And perhaps the path which the experience of alternation, having lost its shine, has come to has played a role in the search for new positions. Yet what is certain about such a shift is that it did not come out of nothing. On the one hand, fears have increased within the circles of political leaders from the fact that their current situation remaining as it is, without change or renewal, could drive their technocratic rivals to take the forefront of power, considering that low participation rates in heading to the ballot boxes in previous elections have shown that a silent majority resorts to seclusion. On the other, disagreements over tactics and methodology have wasted for political forces numerous opportunities to maintain their cohesiveness and to speak in the form of a single speaker, who would strengthen their presence in the democratic order, and perhaps to realize before it is too late that opening up to each other would be better than falling under the effect of successive blows. Yet what can be described as this “return of awareness” will be connected to the emergence of a new political party, namely the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM - Parti Authenticité et Modernité) formed by former Delegate Minister to the Interior Fouad Ali El-Himma. And after the experience had been viewed as little more than the repetition of political facts that had receded to the background, it became the gathering point of fragments of parties, Members of Parliament and Parliament advisors who brought its seats in the legislative institution to the forefront, which helped to reshuffle cards and calculations within the political scene and outside of it. Was it sufficient for a political party of such characteristics to appear for political players, in the government and in the opposition equally, to reconsider their options in terms of the new political alliances they are headed towards against their will? Or has thinking within a system of political polarization that consumes small parties come to impose itself to shape a system for political parties, distributed between the two poles of loyalists and opposition, within wagers of swaying a third pole that would give preponderance to this or that side? In any case, the scene of political parties in Morocco is headed towards change, if not under the effect of internal democracy amidst its constituents, then through external assumptions which are now knocking on everyone's doors and windows. And it is paradoxical to find taking place today within political elites a broad debate over the electoral system in the next elections, after these elites had approved of the system of voting by lists in previous elections. The fact is that putting forth the problems of the laws regulating the activity of political parties has in turn dominated the discussion, while it was those very leaders who unanimously ratified them within the perspective of banning parties established on religious, ethnic or tribal bases. Yet amidst such a debate, voices that used to call for undertaking constitutional reforms have receded, replacing the term with “political reforms”, which means that the concern with reform is no longer limited to political affairs, but has come to reach alliances between political parties. Closer to greater wagers is the fact that Morocco is about to enter a phase of broadened organization of its directions. Will the awakening of political parties then be indicative of preparation for such organization which will redefine priorities, or has the electoral concern come to impose itself ahead of time?
