Morocco has made a historic political change with the appointment of Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country’s first woman prime minister. King Mohammed VI appointed the 50-year-old lawyer on 29 September 2026, after the September 23 parliamentary election in which her Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) emerged as the largest party in the House of Representatives.
El Mansouri will be responsible for forming Morocco’s new government, and will start forming a governing coalition. PAM won 97 out of 395 seats in the House of Representatives, which means it won’t have enough seats to govern alone and will have to attract the support of other political parties to win.
Her appointment marks a watershed moment in Morocco’s political history. El Mansouri is the first woman to head the Moroccan government and the second woman in the Arab world to serve as prime minister, following Tunisia’s Najla Bouden, who held the position from 2021 to 2023.
Who Is Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri?
El Mansouri is a lawyer and experienced politician from Marrakech. She held various positions as mayor of Marrakech and also Morocco’s minister of national planning, urban planning, housing and city policy in the outgoing government. She started her political career in Marrakech before she got to national government and has served at the municipal and ministerial levels too.
Les femmes Marocaines en force... Fatima Zahra El Mansouri reçue par Sa Majesté le Roi Mohammed VI et nommée Cheffe du gouvernement, chargée de former le nouvel exécutif. Première femme à ce poste dans l’histoire du Maroc. Un moment historique 🇲🇦❤️#Maroc #المغرب_أولا #Morocco pic.twitter.com/Vktly0411V
— Morocco First 🇲🇦 (@TheRealMarroqui) September 29, 2026
She became mayor of Marrakech in 2009, the first woman to hold that post in her city. She then returned to the mayor’s office after the 2021 local elections. Her political career has been closely associated with the Authenticity and Modernity Party which was first in the last parliamentary elections.
Under Morocco’s constitutional system, the king appoints the head of government from the political party that wins the largest number of seats in the House of Representatives. After PAM’s election performance, King Mohammed VI received El Mansouri at the Royal Palace in Rabat and asked her to form the new government.
Coalition Building Ahead
One of the immediate challenges for El Mansouri will be to form a coalition that can gain parliamentary support. PAM’s 97 seats are well below the 198 needed to have any majority in the 395-member House of Representatives. So other major parties will be key to the composition and support base of the next government.
Reuters reported that El Mansouri had expressed openness to coalition talks, with the National Rally of Independents and Istiqlal both leading the way. The Justice and Development Party is likely to remain in opposition.
جلالة الملك يعين السيدة فاطمة الزهراء المنصوري رئيسة للحكومة ويكلفها جلالته بتشكيل الحكومة الجديدة
— TheMoroccanMonarchy (@M_RoyalFamily) September 29, 2026
His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, appointed Ms. Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as Head of Government pic.twitter.com/8Oq5hp0tsM
The parliamentary election reached an estimated 38% turnout, Reuters and other reports said, providing voter participation as a further factor in the formation of the new government. The incoming administration will have to deal with employment, wages, inflation and economic opportunities, particularly for younger Moroccans.
2030 FIFA World Cup Preparations
El Mansouri’s government will also be in charge during a crucial period for Morocco as the country prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Spain and Portugal. Preparation for the tournament includes major infrastructure and investment plans, and so the new government will have to oversee projects related to the tournament.
The World Cup preparations will be alongside wider economic and social targets. Morocco’s new government will be working on infrastructure and investment linked to the tournament while also dealing with employment, wages and cost of living.
El Mansouri’s appointment comes at a crucial moment in Morocco’s political and economic calendar. Her immediate task is to translate PAM’s election victory into a functioning coalition government, while her administration will also be expected to manage major national projects in the years leading up to the 2030 World Cup.
The appointment of Morocco’s first female prime minister has also put El Mansouri at the center of international attention. When coalition negotiations start its course, the makeup of her government and its policy priorities will determine the next phase of Morocco’s political direction.
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