Neo Destour

The Neo Destour (Arabic: الحزب الحر الدستوري الجديد, French: Néo-Destour) was a Tunisian political party founded on March 2, 1934, in Ksar Hellal. It emerged as a breakaway faction of the Destour (Liberal Constitutional Party), also known as the Old Destour, due to disagreements over strategy and leadership in the fight for Tunisian independence from French protectorate rule.

The Neo Destour advocated for a more assertive and direct approach to achieving independence, contrasting with the Old Destour's more gradualist and diplomatic stance. Key figures in the Neo Destour included Habib Bourguiba, who became its leader and later the first President of Tunisia, as well as Salah Ben Youssef and Mahmoud El Materi.

The party played a pivotal role in the Tunisian independence movement, organizing protests, strikes, and other forms of resistance against French rule. Its activities led to the arrests and imprisonment of its leaders, but also increased popular support for the cause of independence.

Following Tunisia's independence in 1956, the Neo Destour became the dominant political force in the country. In 1964, it was renamed the Socialist Destourian Party (PSD), marking a shift towards a more socialist-oriented platform. The PSD remained the ruling party until the 2011 Tunisian Revolution.