Moroccan King Appoints Fatima Zahra Mansouri as Prime Minister - Sarmad

• Previously served as Minister of National Territorial Planning, Urban Planning, Housing, and City Policy

• Served as President of the Municipal Council of Marrakech for two terms

• Her political profile rose after her election as Mayor of Marrakech in 2009

King Mohammed VI of Morocco appointed Fatima Zahra Mansouri as Prime Minister on Tuesday, tasking her with forming the new government after her party, the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), won the legislative elections, making her the first woman to hold the office of Prime Minister in Morocco’s history.

The Royal Court, Protocol, and Decorations Ministry stated in a press release that King Mohammed VI received Mansouri at the Royal Palace in Rabat and appointed her Prime Minister under Article 47 of the Constitution, entrusting her with forming the new government.

Mansouri’s appointment comes about two weeks after the legislative elections held on September 23, in which the Authenticity and Modernity Party secured the top position with 97 seats out of 395 in the House of Representatives.

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

The Authenticity and Modernity Party does not hold an absolute majority on its own in the House of Representatives, which requires 198 seats, placing Mansouri with the task of holding consultations with political parties to form a government coalition with a parliamentary majority.

First Woman to Head the Government

Mansouri’s appointment marks a precedent in Moroccan political life, as she becomes the first woman to serve as Prime Minister in the Kingdom’s history. She was among the leading names considered to lead the government after her party’s first-place finish in the elections.

Her appointment is based on Article 47 of the Moroccan Constitution, which stipulates that the King appoints the Prime Minister from the political party that tops the House of Representatives elections, based on the election results.

Mansouri leads the Authenticity and Modernity Party within a collective leadership structure. The Royal Court described her in a statement as the “coordinator of the collective leadership of the Authenticity and Modernity Party.”

Who is Fatima Zahra Mansouri?

Mansouri previously served as Minister of National Territorial Planning, Urban Planning, Housing, and City Policy in Aziz Akhannouch’s government. She also served as President of the Municipal Council of Marrakech for two terms.

Mansouri’s political prominence began after her election as Mayor of Marrakech in 2009. She returned to lead the city following the 2021 elections, coinciding with her rise in the leadership of the Authenticity and Modernity Party and her appointment to a ministerial portfolio in the outgoing government.

In 2024, Mansouri became one of the key figures in the collective leadership of the Authenticity and Modernity Party, before leading the party to victory in the 2026 elections, securing first place with 97 seats.

Task of Forming the Government

The royal mandate moves Mansouri to the next stage of forming the new government, requiring her to conduct political consultations to build a majority in the House of Representatives, based on the parliamentary landscape resulting from the recent elections.

The Authenticity and Modernity Party needs partners to surpass the majority threshold of 198 seats. The party was part of the previous government coalition alongside the National Rally of Independents and the Independence Party. In the elections, these three parties together were awarded 228 seats. However, the structure of the new government coalition will be determined by the consultation process led by Mansouri.

With the formation of the new government, Mansouri will succeed Aziz Akhannouch, who has led the government since the 2021 elections. The September 2026 elections reshuffled the balance of power in the House of Representatives, elevating the Authenticity and Modernity Party to the forefront of the parliamentary scene.