Al-Mansouri will lead a four-way coalition to form the government in Morocco, while the Islamist Justice and Development Party chose the opposition

The centrist Authenticity and Modernity Party in Morocco, which topped the results of last month's parliamentary elections, and three other parties announced the formation of a coalition government led by Fatima Zahraa Al-Mansouri. The coalition includes two moderate socialist parties, the Progress and Socialism Party and the Socialist Union of Popular Forces, in addition to the nationally oriented Istiqlal Party. Together, the four parties won 207 seats in Parliament, exceeding the threshold of 198 seats necessary to secure a majority.

The coalition said in a joint statement, “It was decided to form a harmonious political majority, which will produce a strong political government, composed of political components characterized by intellectual and political convergence, united in the reform vision and committed to it.” The statement added, "The four political parties, forming the new government majority, will work to propose names of female and male ministers who possess competence, political sense, integrity and integrity within a harmonious and strong government, capable of activating the contents of the government program that will be prepared as soon as possible."

Moroccan King Mohammed VI decided to appoint Fatima Zahraa Al-Mansouri as Prime Minister, making her the first woman to hold this position in the Kingdom, and assigned her to form the government, after her Authenticity and Modernity Party topped the results of the parliamentary elections on September 23. The Authenticity and Modernity Party was founded in 2008 by one of the king’s advisors, and presented itself as a counterweight to the Islamist Justice and Development Party, calling for societal modernization.

The Authenticity and Modernity Party won 97 seats out of 395 in the legislative elections, ahead of the National Rally of Liberals, which led the previous government and won 66 seats.

Islamic Justice and Development in the opposition

The moderate Islamic Justice and Development Party, which won 54 seats in the elections, also chose to move to the opposition. The new government will oversee the final stages of a plan worth $20 billion in preparation for hosting the 2030 World Cup, which will be organized by Morocco in partnership with Portugal and Spain.

The National Rally of Liberals did not participate in the new coalition, which puts it closer to aligning itself with the opposition. Under the Moroccan constitution, the king chooses the prime minister from the party leading the election results.

The government is facing pressure to find solutions to the problems of young people related to jobs, education, and health services, issues that were at the heart of the Generation Z protests last year and the migration crisis in Ceuta during July.

However, the elections are not expected to lead to a change in major political trends in Morocco, which has a constitutional monarchy, where the king retains broad powers that include foreign policy, defense, and other major files.

Edited by: Arif Jabo