Morocco’s New Government: Women’s Political Representation and Declining Electoral Participation
By Victoria Rebok
The Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS) and the Elections Network in the Arab Region (ENAR) welcome the formation of Morocco’s new woman-led government, which was sworn in at the Royal Palace in Rabat on 16 October 2026, following the parliamentary elections held on 23 September. This makes Morocco the second Arab country to have a female Head of Government.
The elections saw the National Rally of Independents (RNI) lose its position as the largest party in parliament, falling from 102 to 66 seats. The Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), meanwhile, emerged as the largest party, increasing its representation from 87 to 97 seats. In accordance with Article 47 of Morocco’s Constitution, which requires the monarch to appoint a Head of Government from the party that wins the most seats, King Mohammed VI appointed former Mayor of Marrakesh Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri to the position. El Mansouri subsequently negotiated a governing coalition comprising PAM, Istiqlal, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP) and the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS), which was announced on 12 October. Together, the four parties hold 207 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives, giving the coalition a nine-seat majority.
