King Mohammed VI named Fatima Zahra El Mansouri head of government after her Authenticity and Modernity Party won the most seats in Morocco’s parliamentary election. She is the first woman appointed to the post. The party’s 97 seats fall short of a majority in the 395-seat chamber, so her next task is to negotiate a coalition; the appointment alone does not settle its membership.
King Mohammed VI named Fatima Zahra El Mansouri Morocco’s head of government on Tuesday and asked her to form a cabinet. She is the first woman appointed to that office. El Mansouri belongs to the Authenticity and Modernity Party, or PAM, which came first in last week’s parliamentary election. Morocco’s constitution directs the king to choose the head of government from the party with the most seats.[1], [2]
PAM won 97 of the House of Representatives’ 395 seats; 198 are needed for an absolute majority. The appointment therefore begins coalition negotiations rather than completing a government. The Justice and Development Party increased its seats from 13 to 54, but its leader Abdelilah Benkirane says it will remain in opposition. Relations between PAM and the National Rally of Independents, which led the outgoing cabinet, are strained.[1]
El Mansouri is a lawyer who served as mayor of Marrakesh and as minister responsible for housing and urban planning in the previous coalition. Since 2024 she has coordinated PAM’s collective leadership. The king chose her rather than fellow party member Fouzi Lekjaa, whose name had also been discussed after the election. The previous September 24 Brief established PAM’s lead in seats; Tuesday’s distinct development is the royal appointment of the person who must now assemble a governing majority.[1]
