RABAT, Morocco, September 29, 2026. King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as Morocco’s head of government and asked her to form a new cabinet, making her the first woman to serve as the country’s prime minister.
The royal-palace announcement carried by SNRT News on September 29 says the appointment was made under Article 47 of Morocco’s constitution. Reuters independently reported the appointment and its election context.
What changed after the election
El Mansouri’s Authenticity and Modernity Party, known as PAM, won 97 seats in the September 23 parliamentary election, the largest total among the competing parties. Morocco’s constitution calls for the king to appoint the head of government from the party that wins the most seats in the House of Representatives.
Appointment is the start of the government-formation process, not its conclusion. El Mansouri must conduct coalition talks and present proposed cabinet members for royal approval. Reuters reported that the National Rally of Independents won 66 seats and Istiqlal won 65, leaving PAM short of governing alone.
Who El Mansouri is
El Mansouri is a lawyer who served as housing minister in the outgoing government and as mayor of Marrakech. Her elevation is a historic first for women’s political representation in Morocco, while the constitutional balance of power remains unchanged: the king retains broad authority over foreign policy, defense and other major portfolios.
The incoming government will also inherit economic and infrastructure decisions connected to Morocco’s preparations to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. For another current international policy development, AskNovus reported on Australia’s September 29 central-bank decision.
Sources
Featured photo: Jonathan Hunt via Unsplash; Rabat cityscape.