WORLD · 30 Sep 2026 · 14:17 GMT ·2 min read

Morocco Appoints First Female Prime Minister Amid Coalition Challenges

King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Zahra Mansouri as Morocco’s first female prime minister on September 29, 2026.

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DW English

King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Zahra Mansouri as Morocco’s first female prime minister on September 29, 2026. Mansouri previously served as housing minister and mayor of Marrakesh. She leads the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), which holds 97 of 395 parliamentary seats. Mansouri must now form a coalition government to target 5% annual growth and job creation. Her appointment follows a parliamentary election that saw the lowest voter turnout in two decades.

Context

Morocco changed its political system with the 2011 constitutional reforms. These reforms required the King to appoint a prime minister from the party that won the most parliamentary seats. The change limited the monarch’s unilateral appointment powers following the Arab Spring. Fouad Ali El Himma, a royal adviser, founded the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) in 2008. The party emerged as a force to balance the influence of Islamist movements.

Elections occurred on September 23, 2026. Voters expressed socioeconomic frustration as young migrants entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta. Low voter turnout defined the election period. The new administration must manage these domestic pressures. It also oversees national projects like the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Supportive perspectives

The government established specific economic recovery targets. The PAM platform pledges 5% annual economic growth and 2% inflation. It also aims to create one million jobs within a five-year period.
The appointment follows the election on September 23, 2026. Mansouri leads the party with 97 of 395 seats. The leader must now form a government to manage national priorities. These duties involve preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Mansouri has held executive posts. She served as Morocco’s housing minister and twice as mayor of Marrakesh, first in 2009 and again in 2021.
The appointment marks a first for Morocco. The official is the second woman to serve as prime minister in the Arab world, after Tunisia’s Najla Bouden.

Critical perspectives

The PAM party failed to secure an outright majority in the 395-seat House of Representatives. The party must now negotiate with other factions to form a governing coalition.
Political opposition remains a hurdle. Abdelilah Benkirane, leader of the Justice and Development Party (PJD), ruled out a coalition with the Party of Authenticity and Modernity (PAM). Benkirane alleged that the recent election was tainted by fraud.
The parliamentary election recorded the lowest voter turnout in two decades. Observers characterized the vote by this low participation.
The Moroccan monarch retains broad powers over major government policies despite the recent appointment, as reported by France 24.