Morocco's King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, national coordinator of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), as the country's new prime minister, the royal palace announced on 30 September 2026. El Mansouri becomes Morocco's first female head of government, a historic milestone for the North African nation.

Election Results That Triggered the Appointment

The appointment follows parliamentary elections held on 23 September 2026, in which the PAM emerged as the single largest party, securing 97 seats in the 395-member House of Representatives. Under Morocco's constitution, the king is required to appoint the prime minister from the party that wins the most seats, which then proceeds to form a government.

The National Rally of Independents finished second with 66 seats, while the Istiqlal Party came third with 65 seats, according to preliminary results released by Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit. The Justice and Development Party (PJD) — which had led coalition governments after the 2011 and 2016 general elections — ranked fourth with 54 seats.

Structure of the Election

Of the 395 seats contested, 305 were allocated through local electoral constituencies, while the remaining 90 seats were reserved exclusively for women through regional lists — a provision designed to ensure female representation in the legislature. A total of 7,288 candidates from 28 political groups registered for the election nationwide. Women accounted for 2,658 candidates, representing 36.47% of all registered contestants, according to the Interior Ministry.

Morocco's Political Landscape

Morocco operates a bicameral parliament comprising the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors. The 2026 election determined membership of the lower house across the country's 12 regions. The election of the House of Councillors is scheduled for 2027.

The outgoing government was formed by a coalition that included the Istiqlal Party, the National Rally of Independents, and the PAM itself. Other parties that contested the election include the Socialist Union of Popular Forces, the Popular Movement, and the Party of Progress and Socialism. This is the third major electoral cycle since the Arab Spring-era constitutional reforms of 2011 reshaped Morocco's parliamentary system.

Significance of El Mansouri's Appointment

El Mansouri's appointment is widely seen as a landmark moment not just for Morocco but for the broader Arab world, where female heads of government remain exceptionally rare. As national coordinator of the PAM, she was central to the party's electoral campaign strategy. Coalition negotiations are now expected to determine the composition of the new Cabinet, with the PAM needing to bring in alliance partners to secure a working majority in the 395-seat chamber.

How El Mansouri navigates coalition-building and steers economic and social policy will be closely watched both domestically and by Morocco's partners in the European Union and across Africa.