King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri to lead the government, making her Morocco’s first female prime minister after her party finished first in parliamentary elections. The palace said the king named El Mansouri head of government on Tuesday and asked her to form a new Cabinet, marking the first time a woman has been chosen to lead Morocco’s government.
El Mansouri, 50, is the coordinator of the collective leadership of the Authenticity and Modernity Party, known as PAM. The party won 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives in the Sept. 23 election, according to final results from the Interior Ministry.
The National Rally of Independents followed with 66 seats, while the Istiqlal Party won 65 and the Justice and Development Party took 54. No party secured a majority, making coalition negotiations necessary to form the next government.
Morocco’s first female prime minister starts coalition talks
El Mansouri began consultations with political parties a day after her appointment. She met representatives of the National Rally of Independents and Istiqlal as talks began over the shape of the next government. Reuters reported that she said there would be “no red lines” in negotiations, despite tensions among parties during the election campaign.
Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri officially becomes Morocco’s first-ever woman prime minister. pic.twitter.com/nwEZssSA7B
— Globe Eye News (@GlobeEyeNews) September 29, 2026
Her appointment follows a political career that has included serving as minister of national territory planning, urban planning, housing and city policy from 2021 to 2026. A lawyer by training, El Mansouri led the Marrakesh municipal council from 2009 to 2015 and returned to the post in 2021. She has served as coordinator of PAM’s collective leadership since 2024.
The vote came at a sensitive time for Morocco. Turnout was about 38%, according to official figures, while the campaign unfolded amid concerns about employment, public services and economic pressures.
The next government will also oversee a major phase of preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
Election victory opens the way for a new government
Under Morocco’s 2011 Constitution, the king appoints the head of government from the political party that finishes first in elections for the House of Representatives.
The king appoints ministers on the head of government’s proposal. After the Cabinet is named, its program must win the confidence of an absolute majority in the House of Representatives.
El Mansouri must therefore turn PAM’s election victory into a workable parliamentary coalition. Her appointment has already set a national precedent, while the immediate political task is forming a government capable of securing parliamentary backing and addressing the economic and social issues that shaped the election.
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