El Mansouri begins coalition talks and opens channel with Benkirane

Wednesday 30 September 2026 - 09:32

By: Azzat Manal

El Mansouri begins coalition talks and opens channel with Benkirane

Fatima Zahra El Mansouri has begun consultations on forming Morocco’s next government after King Mohammed VI appointed her head of government on Tuesday, following the Authenticity and Modernity Party’s (PAM) victory in the September 23 parliamentary elections. The PAM secured 97 seats in the 395-member House of Representatives, ahead of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) with 66 seats and the Istiqlal Party with 65. The final results confirmed the provisional distribution announced after the vote.

El Mansouri’s appointment also makes her the first woman to serve as Morocco’s head of government. She now faces the task of building a parliamentary majority and preparing a new cabinet in a political landscape where no single party holds enough seats to govern alone.

The new head of government is expected to hold her first formal consultations at the PAM headquarters in Rabat, beginning with meetings with representatives of the RNI and Istiqlal. The discussions are intended to clarify the positions of the main parliamentary parties and explore possible arrangements for the next governing coalition.

At the same time, El Mansouri has opened a line of communication with Abdelilah Benkirane, secretary-general of the Justice and Development Party (PJD). According to information published by the PJD and reported by Moroccan media, she contacted Benkirane by telephone on Tuesday evening and proposed a meeting as part of the government-formation consultations. Benkirane welcomed the proposal and left the timing of the meeting to El Mansouri.

The contact is notable because the PJD has already announced that it intends to sit in opposition rather than join a government led by the PAM. The party won 54 seats in the September election, making it the fourth-largest formation in the new House of Representatives. Its decision to remain in opposition was confirmed by its national council following the election.

The planned meeting therefore does not indicate that the PJD has changed its position on government participation. Instead, it represents part of a broader consultation process involving Morocco’s parliamentary parties as El Mansouri works to establish the political basis of the next government.

The coalition-building process comes against a backdrop of a fragmented parliament. With 97 seats, the PAM remains well short of the 198 seats required for a majority in the 395-member chamber, making agreements with other parties necessary for the formation of a government capable of securing parliamentary support.

The RNI and Istiqlal, which finished second and third respectively, are therefore among the key parties in the coalition discussions. Other parliamentary formations may also be approached as the consultations progress, depending on the political programme and composition of the future majority.

El Mansouri had previously indicated that the PAM would remain open to dialogue with other political parties while stressing that any coalition decision would have to be considered through the party’s internal institutions. She also acknowledged significant differences between the PAM and the PJD, particularly over social issues and their respective visions for Moroccan society.

The coming consultations are expected to provide a clearer picture of the alliances that could shape Morocco’s next government. Beyond the distribution of ministerial positions, the negotiations will also determine the political programme and parliamentary support for the new administration as it prepares to take office.