First Woman to Lead the Moroccan Government: Who is Fatima Zahra El Mansouri?

Morocco's King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Zahra El Mansouri as head of government on Tuesday, tasking her with forming a new cabinet following the victory of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) in the legislative elections, making her the first woman to lead the government in Morocco's history.

The Ministry of Royal Palaces, Protocol and Honors stated in a release that King Mohammed VI received El Mansouri at the Royal Palace in Rabat, appointing her as head of government under Article 47 of the Constitution and entrusting her with forming the new government.

El Mansouri's appointment came about two weeks after the legislative elections held on September 23, where the PAM topped the results by securing 97 out of 395 seats in the House of Representatives.

The National Rally of Independents (RNI), which led the outgoing government under Aziz Akhannouch, came in second with 66 seats, followed by the Istiqlal Party with 65 seats, while the Justice and Development Party (PJD) ranked fourth with 54 seats.

The PAM does not hold an outright majority in the House of Representatives, which requires 198 seats, placing before El Mansouri the task of consulting with political parties to form a coalition government with a parliamentary majority.

First Woman at the Head of Government
El Mansouri's appointment marks a precedent in Moroccan political life, as she became the first woman to serve as head of government in the Kingdom's history. She was among the prominent names proposed to lead the government after her party won first place in the elections.

Her appointment is based on Article 47 of the Moroccan Constitution, which stipulates that the King appoints the head of government from the political party leading the elections for members of the House of Representatives, based on the results.

El Mansouri leads the PAM within the framework of the party's collective leadership structure, described by the Royal Office statement as "Coordinator of the Collective Leadership of the Authenticity and Modernity Party."

Who is Fatima Zahra El Mansouri?
El Mansouri previously served as Minister of Land Use Planning, Urbanism, Housing and City Policy in Aziz Akhannouch's government, and also headed the Municipal Council of Marrakech for two terms.

El Mansouri rose to political prominence after being elected Mayor of Marrakech in 2009, then returned to lead the city following the 2021 elections, coinciding with her rise in the PAM leadership and her assumption of a ministerial portfolio in the outgoing government.

In 2024, El Mansouri became one of the key figures in the PAM's collective leadership, before leading the party in the 2026 elections and securing first place with 97 seats.

Task of Forming the Government
The royal mandate moves El Mansouri to the stage of forming the new government, requiring her to conduct political consultations to build a majority in the House of Representatives, in light of the parliamentary map produced by the recent elections.

The PAM needs partners to surpass the majority threshold of 198 seats. The party was part of the previous governing coalition alongside the RNI and the Istiqlal Party, with the elections granting these three parties a combined 228 seats; however, the shape of the new government coalition will be determined by the course of consultations led by El Mansouri.

With the formation of the new government, El Mansouri will succeed the outgoing administration, having been tasked with navigating the complex parliamentary landscape resulting from the recent electoral outcome.