Berenger and the Endless Splits of the MMM
Berenger’s career has always been about resilience. Each split has weakened him, but each collapse has also given him a chance to reinvent himself.
The story of Paul Berenger and the MMM is one of constant rise, collapse, and rebirth. From the very beginning, splits have defined the party’s journey.
The first shock came when Dev Virahsawmy and Jeeroobhurkhan left to form MMM Sans Paul. Virahsawmy was no ordinary figure — he was the first to win a seat for the MMM in the early 70s, breaking into a Labour stronghold and giving the MMM its iconic moment in a country still emerging from colonial rule.
That period was marked by violence, including the deaths of MMM activists Azor Adelaide and Fareed Muttar.
Berenger, a white man who chose to fight for the poor against entrenched elites of all races, pushed the MMM into the national spotlight. In 1976, the party nearly toppled Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam’s Labour government, forcing him into coalition with Gaetan Duval’s PMSD.
Then came 1982, the historic 60-0 victory alongside Harish Boodhoo’s PSM. But triumph quickly turned to turmoil. By 1983, the MMM split again, with Berenger leaving government and Sir Aneerood Jugnauth forming the MSM. Jugnauth won the elections, leaving Berenger weakened.
The MMM rebuilt in 1987, bringing in new leaders like Prem Nababsingh, but defeat followed. In 1991, Berenger returned to power through another alliance with Jugnauth, only to face fresh defections.
His dance between Labour and MSM continued through the 1990s, culminating in the 1995 60-0 win with Labour, and later the 2000 deal with Jugnauth that made him Prime Minister in 2003.
From 2005 onwards, Berenger and the MMM were pushed into the wilderness as Pravind Jugnauth rose to power. Yet in 2024, history repeated itself with another 60-0 victory, this time against the MSM-PMSD alliance.
But just months later, Berenger resigned as Deputy Prime Minister, joined only by his daughter Joanna. The rest of the MMM stayed in government with Navin Ramgoolam, leaving Berenger isolated once more.
This latest split is perhaps the most dramatic since 1983. Many in the public now see those who remained as “betrayers” and “judas,” while Berenger experiences a surge in popularity. The question is whether he will form a new party — possibly the Rassemblement Socialiste Mauricien — with Joanna and a group of technocrats, or whether he will fight to reclaim the MMM itself.
Berenger’s career has always been about resilience. Each split has weakened him, but each collapse has also given him a chance to reinvent himself. Whether this is the end or the beginning of another chapter remains to be seen.