King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the new prime minister of Morocco on 29 September 2026 at the Royal Palace in Rabat. She leads the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), which won 97 of 395 seats in the parliamentary elections held on 23 September 2026. Her appointment makes her the first woman to head the government in Morocco’s history and only the third woman to serve as prime minister in the Arab world.
Who Is the Prime Minister of Morocco?
Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri is a 50-year-old lawyer and politician from Marrakech who serves as Morocco’s Head of Government, the official title for prime minister. Born on 3 January 1976, she leads the Authenticity and Modernity Party and previously served as Marrakech mayor and housing minister.
Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri was born in Marrakech on 3 January 1976 into a family with roots in the Rehamna region. Her father, Abderrahmane El Mansouri, was a lawyer who served as pasha, or city administrator, of Marrakech and later as Morocco’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. She studied in French schools in Marrakech and earned a degree in private law from Mohammed V University in Rabat. She then completed postgraduate studies in business contract law at the University of Montpellier in France and studied common law business courses at Pace University in New York.
El Mansouri registered with the Marrakech Bar in 2005 and built her practice in commercial and real estate law. She entered politics in 2008 through the Movement for All Democrats and became a founding member of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) in the same year. PAM describes itself as a liberal and centrist party. It was founded by Fouad Ali El Himma and positioned itself as a modern alternative to the Islamist Justice and Development Party, which governed Morocco from 2011 to 2021.
El Mansouri rose fast. On 22 June 2009, at the age of 33, the Marrakech city council elected her mayor by 54 votes to 35. She became the first woman to lead Marrakech and only the second woman mayor in Morocco’s history after Asmaa Chaabi of Essaouira. Her first term ran until 2015. During this period the World Economic Forum named her a Young Global Leader in 2014, and Forbes listed her first among the 20 youngest power women in Africa in the same year.
She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2011 and served as a member of parliament until 2021. She also led the PAM National Council as its president from 2016 to 2024. In September 2021 she returned as Mayor of Marrakech with 79 votes and a month later, on 7 October 2021, she joined the national government as Minister of National Territory Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy under then Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch. In that role she ran the Direct Housing Aid programme, which had supported more than 108,000 beneficiaries by June 2026. In February 2024 the PAM replaced its single secretary general post with a collective leadership, and El Mansouri became its national coordinator.
How Did Fatima El Mansouri Become Prime Minister?
Morocco held parliamentary elections on 23 September 2026 to elect all 395 members of the House of Representatives, the lower house of Parliament. The Authenticity and Modernity Party secured 97 seats, the highest tally of any party, with more than one million votes on the regional lists. Six days later, on 29 September 2026, King Mohammed VI received El Mansouri at the Royal Palace in Rabat and appointed her Head of Government.
The appointment followed Article 47 of the Constitution of 2011. This article requires the King to appoint the Head of Government from the party that finishes first in elections to the House of Representatives. The Ministry of the Royal Household announced that El Mansouri had been entrusted with forming the new government. She succeeds Aziz Akhannouch, the billionaire businessman of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) who headed the government from September 2021.
This was the first time since its founding in 2008 that PAM topped a legislative election and earned the right to lead the government. In 2021 PAM had finished second with 87 seats behind the RNI with 102 seats, and joined the ruling coalition with the RNI and the Istiqlal Party. In 2026 the order reversed. The RNI slipped to second place, and Akhannouch did not stand again after stepping down as RNI leader earlier in the year.
Voter turnout in 2026 was about 38 percent among 15.8 million registered voters. This was lower than nearly 50 percent in 2021 and the lowest level since 2007. The result also showed a comeback by the Justice and Development Party, which increased its tally sharply after its heavy defeat in 2021. Since no party holds an absolute majority of 198 seats, El Mansouri must build a coalition to pass her programme in Parliament.
| Party | Seats Won in 2026 | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) | 97 | First |
| National Rally of Independents (RNI) | 66 | Second |
| Istiqlal Party (PI) | 65 | Third |
| Justice and Development Party (PJD) | 54 | Fourth |
| Popular Movement (MP) | 29 | Fifth |
| Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) | 26 | Sixth |
Does Morocco Have a Prime Minister or President?
Morocco does not have a president. Morocco is a constitutional monarchy where King Mohammed VI is the head of state and the prime minister, officially called Head of Government, leads the executive under the 2011 Constitution and is accountable to both the King and Parliament.
Morocco is officially the Kingdom of Morocco. It follows a system described as a unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy. Ultimate authority rests with the King. King Mohammed VI has reigned since 23 July 1999. He carries the religious title of Commander of the Faithful, which reflects his role as guarantor of Islam in the country. He also serves as Supreme Commander of the Royal Armed Forces and presides over the Council of Ministers, the top decision making body for strategic policy.
The 2011 Constitution, adopted by referendum on 1 July 2011 after the Arab Spring protests, kept the King at the centre of the system while giving more formal powers to the elected government and Parliament. The King appoints the Head of Government from the election winning party. On the proposal of the Head of Government, the King appoints other ministers. The King can also end the service of ministers after consultation with the Head of Government, dissolve Parliament, and approve constitutional changes through referendum.
The title of Head of Government replaced the older title of Prime Minister under the 2011 Constitution, though English media still uses prime minister for simplicity. The Head of Government exercises executive and regulatory power. The office implements the government programme, executes laws, manages the administration, coordinates ministers, and appoints civil servants to many senior posts. After appointment, the Head of Government must present the programme before both houses of Parliament. The House of Representatives then votes on it. The government must resign if it loses a confidence vote or a motion of censure by an absolute majority.
Parliament is bicameral. The House of Representatives has 395 directly elected members. The House of Councillors is the upper house with members chosen indirectly through local bodies and professional groups. This structure explains why forming a coalition matters so much in Morocco. A single party rarely wins a clear majority, so the Head of Government must bring several parties together to pass laws and the budget.
| Role | Title in Morocco | Current Holder in 2026 | Key Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head of State | King | King Mohammed VI | Presides over Council of Ministers, appoints Head of Government, commands armed forces |
| Head of Government | Head of Government, called prime minister in English | Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, designate | Runs day to day administration, proposes ministers, presents programme to Parliament |
| President | No such post | None | Morocco has no president, unlike a republic |
Morocco Country Profile: Capital, Currency and Continent
Morocco is a country in North Africa with Rabat as its capital and the Moroccan dirham as its currency. Located in the Maghreb region, it borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The country has a population of about 37 million and Arabic and Amazigh as official languages.
Morocco lies in Africa, in the northwest corner of the continent. It belongs to the Maghreb, the Arabic word for the west, which groups Morocco with Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania. Morocco has coastlines on both the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. It shares a land border with Algeria to the east and with the disputed territory of Western Sahara to the south. Spain lies just across the Strait of Gibraltar, and Spain administers the exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla on Morocco’s northern coast, which Morocco claims.
The capital of Morocco is Rabat, a coastal city on the Bou Regreg River with a population of about two million in its urban area. The largest city and main port is Casablanca, home to nearly four million people. Other large cities include Fes, Tangier, Marrakech and Agadir. Marrakech, where El Mansouri serves as mayor, is known as the Ochre City for its red sandstone walls and is one of Morocco’s top tourist centres.
The currency of Morocco is the Moroccan dirham, written as MAD and often shown as DH. One dirham is divided into 100 centimes. The exchange value changes every day. In recent years one dirham has usually been worth around eight to nine Indian rupees, so travellers often check the live morocco currency to INR rate before a trip. The dirham is a closed currency, which means its exchange is managed within Morocco’s rules.
Morocco’s official name in Arabic is Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah, which means Kingdom of Morocco. The official languages are Arabic and Amazigh, also called Berber. French is widely used in business, education and administration, while Spanish is common in the north and English is growing fast. Nearly the entire population follows Islam, mostly Sunni, and the King holds the title of Commander of the Faithful. Morocco gained independence from France and Spain in 1956 after the Treaty of Fez period that began in 1912. The Alawi dynasty, the current royal house, has ruled since the 17th century.
Morocco is famous for its medinas, or old walled towns, the Atlas Mountains, parts of the Sahara Desert, historic cities like Fes and Marrakech, phosphate reserves, textiles, and football. The national team, nicknamed the Atlas Lions, reached the semi finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the first African team to do so. Morocco will co host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Official name | Kingdom of Morocco, Al Mamlakah al Maghribiyah in Arabic |
| Continent | Africa, North Africa and Maghreb region |
| Capital | Rabat |
| Largest city | Casablanca |
| Currency | Moroccan dirham (MAD) |
| Population | About 37 million, 2024 census recorded 36.8 million |
| Official languages | Arabic and Amazigh, French widely used |
| Religion | Islam is the official religion, almost entirely Sunni |
| Independence | 2 March 1956 |
| Government type | Unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy |
Why Is This Appointment Historic?
The appointment of Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri is historic because no woman has ever headed the government of Morocco before 2026. Her rise marks a clear break in a post where every previous holder since independence has been a man. She described the moment as truly historic and said it was a source of pride for all Moroccan women.
El Mansouri is only the third woman to serve as prime minister in the Arab world. The first was Najla Bouden of Tunisia, who served from October 2021 to August 2023. The second is Sara Zaafarani of Tunisia, who took office in March 2025. No woman has led the government in any other Arab League state. This places Morocco alongside Tunisia at the front of women’s political leadership in the region.
At the global level, the first woman prime minister in the world was Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, who took office on 21 July 1960. She was followed by Indira Gandhi of India in 1966 and Golda Meir of Israel in 1969. More than 60 countries have since had a woman as head of government or state, yet women still hold only a small share of top executive posts. Morocco’s choice therefore carries weight beyond its borders.
The change also reflects slow but steady gains for women in Moroccan public life. The 2011 Constitution promises equality between men and women and calls for women’s representation in elected bodies. Women now hold a fixed share of seats through national lists in parliamentary elections, and several women serve as ministers and mayors. El Mansouri herself broke ground twice in Marrakech before breaking ground nationally. Her path from city council to mayor to housing minister to Head of Government shows how local leadership can become a route to national office.
What Lies Ahead for the New Government
El Mansouri must now form a coalition government and present its programme to Parliament for a confidence vote. The PAM holds only 97 of 395 seats, so it needs partners to reach a working majority. She began consultations within her party on the day of her appointment and then opened talks with other parties. Key portfolios such as defence, foreign affairs and religious affairs remain under the direct guidance of the palace, so continuity is expected in those areas.
The domestic agenda is demanding. Youth unemployment and the rising cost of living shaped the 2026 campaign. Low turnout at 38 percent showed weak trust among young voters, and Gen Z led protests in 2025 and 2026 had called for jobs, better health and education, and action against corruption. The PAM campaign for 2027 to 2031 promised five charters with 20 measurable commitments at an added cost of 350 billion dirhams over five years, with large shares for purchasing power, citizenship services, youth integration and security, and a target of 5 percent annual growth.
Preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup will dominate public investment. Morocco will co host the tournament with Spain and Portugal, which means new stadiums, high speed rail links, airports and hotels. The government must balance these large projects with spending on housing, water security after repeated droughts, and reconstruction in Al Haouz after the 2023 earthquake, a file El Mansouri handled as housing minister.
Foreign relations are likely to stay stable. Morocco values close ties with the European Union, the United States, Gulf states and African partners, and plays an active role in the African Union after rejoining in 2017. Relations with Algeria remain frozen, with the land border closed since 1994, largely over the Western Sahara dispute. India and Morocco share cordial ties built on trade in phosphates, automobiles, textiles and information technology, along with defence and cultural exchanges. A new government in Rabat does not change these long term directions, but its ability to deliver jobs at home will shape how Morocco is viewed abroad.
Key Takeaways
- Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri was appointed as Morocco’s Head of Government, called prime minister in English, by King Mohammed VI on 29 September 2026.
- The Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won 97 of 395 seats in the House of Representatives elections held on 23 September 2026.
- Under Article 47 of the 2011 Constitution, the King appoints the Head of Government from the party that finishes first in House elections.
- Morocco is a country in Africa with Rabat as capital and the Moroccan dirham (MAD) as currency, and it has no president.
- El Mansouri is the first woman prime minister of Morocco and the third woman prime minister in the Arab world after Tunisia’s Najla Bouden and Sara Zaafarani.
- The world’s first woman prime minister was Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka, who took office on 21 July 1960.
