The Economic Agendas of Islamic Parties in Tunisia and Morocco: Between Discourses and Practices

Six years since the so called “Arab Spring”, this article looks at the two Islamist parties that have since then – although under different circumstances - been key political actors both in Tunisia and Morocco, respectively. It analyses, in a comparative perspective, the economic programs that the PJD in Morocco and Ennahda in Tunisia proposed during their electoral campaigns, along with the policies they implemented. By looking at their platforms and performance, the article investigates the gap between discourses and practices in order to assess to what extent contingent needs and the interplay with other political and social actors impact on Islamists’ ideological perspectives and their capacity to meet societal demands.