Istiqlal Party

The Istiqlal Party is a political party in Morocco. It is a conservative and monarchist party and a member of the Centrist Democrat International and International Democracy Union. Istiqlal headed a coalition government under Abbas El Fassi from 19 September 2007 to 29 November 2011. From 2013 to 2021, it was part of the opposition. Since 2021 it is part of a coalition government led by Aziz Akhannouch.

The party emerged on 10 December 1943 during the anti-colonial struggle against French and Spanish imperial rule, making it the oldest active political party in Morocco. Due to its contribution to the independence, it was initially the largest political party in Morocco and as a result sought to create a one-party state. However, it came into conflict with the King who was threatened by their ambitions. He sought a multi party system by encouraged the formation of other parties and encouraging divisions within the Istiqlal which ended up with its left wing faction breaking away into the National Union of Popular Forces (UNFP) in 1959.

From the 1960s onwards, the Istiqlal was generally part of the opposition, sometimes in alliance with the USFP until 1998 when they joined the Youssoufialternance government with the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP).

Historically, the Istiqlal was made up of multiple political tendencies. Today, it advocates for an egalitarianism not based in the liberal or socialist tradition. They are Moroccan nationalists and conservatives. Their ideology is rooted in reformist Salafism.