King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as head of government on September 29, 2026, making her the first woman to hold the post in Morocco's history. The appointment followed the September 23 general election, in which her Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won the most seats but fell short of a majority.
Morocco's King Mohammed VI received Fatima Zahra El Mansouri at the royal palace in Rabat on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, and appointed her head of government, according to a statement from the Ministry of the Royal Household, Protocol and Chancellery reported by Morocco World News. She is the first woman to lead a Moroccan government.
The appointment was made under Article 47 of Morocco's constitution, which requires the king to choose the head of government from the party that wins the most seats in the House of Representatives, Morocco World News reported.
How the election led here
El Mansouri's Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won 97 of 395 seats in the House of Representatives in the September 23 parliamentary election, finishing first but well short of the 198 seats needed for an outright majority, Al Jazeera and Morocco World News reported.
Dawn reported that the vote recorded the lowest turnout in two decades, a level the outlet linked to frustration expressed in Gen Z-led protests in 2025 over health and education services, unemployment and living costs.
Dawn and Al Jazeera reported that the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), which won 54 seats, will not join a PAM-led coalition. Dawn reported that PJD leader Abdelilah Benkirane called the result a 'victory' but said PAM was 'tainted by fraud,' without providing evidence for the claim. El Mansouri must now negotiate with other parties to assemble the 198 seats required to govern, according to Al Jazeera and Morocco World News.
Who is Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri
According to Wikipedia, El Mansouri was born on January 3, 1976, in Marrakesh; Al Jazeera also reported she was born in Marrakesh in 1976. She trained as a lawyer, earning a diploma from the University of Montpellier in France and a diploma in business law from New York University, according to Al Jazeera.
She served as mayor of Marrakesh, a post she held from 2009 and returned to in 2021, becoming the city's first woman mayor, per Wikipedia. In the outgoing government she held a portfolio described by Wikipedia as Minister of National Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and Urban Policy, and by Al Jazeera as Minister of National Spatial Planning, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Policy; in that role she oversaw earthquake relief efforts, Al Jazeera reported. She has led PAM as national coordinator since February 2024, according to Wikipedia.
For the first time in our country's history, a woman is taking on the responsibility of leading the government.
— Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, quoted by Al Jazeera and Dawn
Regional context
Al Jazeera reported that El Mansouri becomes only the third woman to serve as a prime minister or head of government in the Arab world, following Tunisia's Najla Bouden, who held the post from 2021 to 2023, and Tunisia's Sara Zaafarani, appointed in 2025.
What happens next
El Mansouri has been tasked with forming a cabinet and conducting coalition talks, a process Morocco World News said involves consultations with potential partner parties over ministerial nominations. Al Jazeera reported that the incoming coalition will oversee billions of dollars in investment ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which is scheduled to be co-hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain.
Questions
Who is Morocco's first female prime minister?
Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, a lawyer and former mayor of Marrakesh who leads the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), was appointed head of government by King Mohammed VI on September 29, 2026.
Why was El Mansouri appointed?
Her party, PAM, won the most seats — 97 of 395 — in the September 23, 2026 parliamentary election. Under Article 47 of Morocco's constitution, the king appoints the head of government from the party that wins the most seats.
Does El Mansouri have a parliamentary majority?
No. PAM's 97 seats fall short of the 198-seat majority threshold, so El Mansouri must negotiate a coalition with other parties to form a government, according to Al Jazeera and Morocco World News.
Is she the first woman to lead a government in the Arab world?
No. Al Jazeera reported she is the third, after Tunisia's Najla Bouden (2021–2023) and Sara Zaafarani, who was appointed in 2025.
What triggered the election that led to this result?
The vote followed Gen Z-led protests in 2025 over health services, education, unemployment and living costs, and it recorded the lowest turnout in Morocco in two decades, according to Dawn.
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