Rabat is bracing for a defining political moment. According to converging reports, King Mohammed VI is expected to grant a royal audience within days to the figure set to lead Morocco’s next government, a ceremony widely seen as imminent at the royal palace in the capital.
The move follows Article 47 of the Moroccan constitution, which requires the monarch to appoint the head of government from the party that wins the most seats in legislative elections. That party turned out to be the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), which pulled off a surprise breakthrough by capturing 97 seats in the House of Representatives, edging out its rivals to become the dominant force behind the next governing coalition.
Inside PAM itself, two names keep resurfacing in political circles: Fatima Zahra Mansouri, the mayor of Marrakech and a rising figure within the party, and Fawzi Lekjaa, the current deputy minister in charge of the Budget and president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. While the palace’s final decision remains closely guarded, multiple sources suggest momentum is building in Mansouri’s favor.
Such a choice would carry historic weight. For the first time in the kingdom’s history, a woman could take the helm of the Moroccan government, a milestone in a political system where female representation at the very top of the executive branch has remained limited despite recent progress on gender parity.
Beyond the symbolism, whoever is appointed inherits a demanding mandate. The incoming head of government will need to move quickly into coalition talks with other parties to assemble a workable parliamentary majority, one capable of delivering on pressing economic and social priorities: purchasing power, youth employment, and the rollout of Morocco’s major national projects, all under the scrutiny of an increasingly vocal public.
An official announcement is not expected to be far off. Once the King’s choice is made public, it will settle weeks of speculation and open a new political chapter for Morocco, arriving just months ahead of major economic and diplomatic milestones for the country.
