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Socialist Union of Popular Forces

The leading social-democratic party, heir to the National Union of Popular Forces. It led the Alternance government in 1998 before a long electoral decline.

The leading social-democratic party, heir to the National Union of Popular Forces. It led the Alternance government in 1998 before a long electoral decline.

Roots: the National Union of Popular Forces The party traces back to the 1959 split from Istiqlal that created the National Union of Popular Forces, led by Mehdi Ben Barka, Abdallah Ibrahim and Abderrahim Bouabid . After the repression of the "Years of Lead", the Rabat wing held an extraordinary congress in January 1975, adopted the name Socialist Union of Popular Forces and chose "democratic struggle" .

From opposition to Alternance Abderrahim Bouabid led the party until his death in 1992; Abderrahmane Youssoufi succeeded him . The party won the 1997 election with 57 seats, and in February 1998 Youssoufi became Prime Minister at the head of the "consensual Alternance" government, the first led by a figure of the left-wing opposition .

Decline Although it came first again in 2002 with 50 seats, the technocrat Driss Jettou was appointed Prime Minister . The party fell to 38 seats in 2007 and moved into opposition after 2011 . It joined the Othmani government in 2017 , returned to opposition after 2021 with 34 seats , and dropped to 26 seats in 2026 .

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