RABAT — King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as Morocco's prime minister on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. The king tasked El Mansouri with forming a new government following her party's victory in the recent parliamentary election.

Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri is the first woman to serve as prime minister in Morocco. She is also the second woman to serve as prime minister in the Arab world, after Najla Bouden of Tunisia. Her appointment marks a shift in the leadership of the North African nation.

El Mansouri’s Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won the most seats in the September 23, 2026 parliamentary election. PAM secured 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives. The National Rally of Independents (RNI) won 66 seats, while the Istiqlal party won 65 seats. The Justice and Development Party (PJD) secured 54 seats.

Under Morocco's constitution, the king appoints the head of government from the political party that wins the most seats in the House of Representatives. However, PAM does not have an absolute majority and will need to form a coalition to govern. A total of 198 seats are required for an absolute majority in the 395-member parliament. One million of the 15.8 million registered voters voted for PAM.

Voter turnout in the parliamentary election was approximately 38%, the lowest since 1997. This figure reflects declining public trust in institutions during economic challenges and social unrest, according to reports of Elections. Voter turnout in the previous parliamentary election five years prior was approximately 50%.

El Mansouri said in a televised address, "For the first time in our country’s history, a woman is taking on the responsibility of leading the government." She added, "This is a source of pride not only for me but for all Moroccan women." In subsequent remarks regarding the formation of the new cabinet, she said she had no "red lines" in coalition negotiations. "We have turned the page," Mansouri said.

Abdelilah Benkirane, leader of the PJD, said the party would stay in opposition. The Federation of Democratic Left announced it would remain in the opposition as well. King Mohammed VI chose El Mansouri as prime minister over Fouzi Lekjaa, Morocco's football federation chief, who had joined PAM weeks before the vote.

The incoming government will oversee preparations for the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Portugal and Spain. Preparations for the 2030 World Cup involve a $20-billion investment push, with infrastructure projects expected to be a major focus of the new government. The outgoing government had four women ministers, indicating a precedent of female representation in senior governmental roles despite the lack of a female prime minister until 2026.

El Mansouri is a 50-year-old lawyer who was born in Marrakech in 1976. She studied law at the University of Montpellier in France and obtained a diploma in Anglo-Saxon business law from New York University. She also studied at Mohammed V University in Rabat.

El Mansouri served as Minister of National Spatial Planning, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Policy in the outgoing government. She previously served as mayor of Marrakech, having been elected to the position in 2009 as the first woman to hold the role. She returned to lead the Marrakech municipal council following the 2021 elections.

Why It Matters

The appointment of Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri represents a development for gender representation in Moroccan politics and the broader Arab world. As the first female prime minister in Morocco and the second in the Arab world, she assumes a leadership role in the region's government. The incoming administration faces the tasks of addressing public trust following low voter turnout and managing a $20-billion infrastructure program for the 2030 World Cup.

The political landscape remains fragmented, requiring El Mansouri to build a coalition government without an absolute majority. With major parties like the PJD and the Federation of Democratic Left moving to opposition, the stability of the new government will depend on its ability to negotiate effectively with other parliamentary blocs. The outcome of these negotiations will determine how the government addresses ongoing economic challenges and social unrest that contributed to the decline in voter participation.

Timeline

El Mansouri was born in Marrakech in 1976. PAM was created in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, an adviser to the king. El Mansouri was elected mayor of Marrakech in 2009, becoming the first woman to hold the position.

El Mansouri returned to lead the Marrakech municipal council following the 2021 elections. El Mansouri became the co-ordinator of PAM's leadership coalition in February 2024. Youth-led protests occurred in Morocco last year. A border crossing event occurred at the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in July 2025.

What's New

Morocco's King Mohammed VI on Tuesday granted full discretion to coordinator of the collective leadership of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri to form the new Moroccan government. Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri is the second woman to serve as prime minister in the Arab world, after Najla Bouden of Tunisia. Morocco's outgoing government prior to the 2026 election included four women ministers, indicating a precedent of female representation in senior governmental roles despite the lack of a female prime minister until 2026.

El Mansouri’s father, Abderrahmane El Mansouri, served as Morocco’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and was a local official in Marrakech, indicating a political background in her family. Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri was appointed as the coordinator of PAM's collective leadership in February 2024, a position within the party before her appointment as prime minister. The Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) was founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, an adviser to King Mohammed VI, and is a centrist party in Morocco.