Disentangling Political Parties in the Maghreb

This chapter problematises Maghrebi political parties in two broad theoretical debates: on the one hand, the recurrent theme of the decline of (Western) contemporary political parties and their delinking from society; on the other, the long neglect of Arab political parties and their relative importance before and after the 2010–11 uprisings. The chapter then sets out the analytical framework informing the book aimed to disentangle parties in their organisational development and legitimating sources of political authority. To this end, it takes a cue from the classic intra-party breakdown of the party on the ground, in public office and in central office and outlines some operational criteria for each of these three “faces.” The chapter also illustrates the contemporary salience of the false dichotomy between modernity and tradition. Eventually, it introduces the notion of “hybrid” political parties that mirror and challenge these fluid categories. Completing the theoretical framework, it charts what the modern traits and tradition-based features driving the action of each party are.