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In this analysis
A majority after the September election
Morocco's Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) has agreed to govern with three other parties after the 23 September parliamentary election. The parties together hold 207 seats in the 395-member House of Representatives, according to Reuters reporting on 12 October. That exceeds the 198 seats required for an absolute majority. Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, appointed by King Mohammed VI to lead the government, is the country's first woman to hold the post. The immediate achievement is parliamentary arithmetic: an alliance capable of seeking confidence without relying on a minority arrangement.
The agreement does not by itself constitute a fully appointed cabinet or guarantee cohesion on every budget and reform bill. Portfolio negotiations, the government programme and the parliamentary confidence process remain important stages. Nor should the coalition's 207 seats be described as a public mandate for one party. PAM itself won 97 seats, according to the party's published election figures. The additional seats come from partners with their own constituencies and negotiating positions.
The constitution divides authority between institutions
Morocco's 2011 constitution requires the king to appoint a head of government from the party that wins the most parliamentary seats. The head of government then leads day-to-day administration and proposes a cabinet, while the monarchy retains substantial constitutional powers, including roles in defence, religious affairs and strategic policy. A parliamentary majority therefore matters for legislation and government stability without transferring every major decision to the coalition.
This distinction is essential to evaluating political change. The appointment of a woman as head of government is a significant institutional first. It should not be confused with a change to the formal allocation of power between the palace, cabinet and parliament. Analysts should examine which policies are controlled by ministers, which require royal decisions and which depend on cooperation across institutions. Political authority is measured by the ability to make and implement decisions, not only by office titles.
Economic delivery will test the coalition's internal bargain
The next government faces public demands around employment, education, health services and living costs. It must also manage infrastructure and investment programmes associated with Morocco's role as a 2030 World Cup co-host. Reuters has reported a substantial pipeline of preparations, but announced investment plans should be separated from projects already financed, under construction or operating. Public works can create visible activity without automatically producing sustained employment or stronger public services.
Coalition partners may agree on broad goals while disagreeing about fiscal priorities and ministerial responsibility. The budget is an early test: it will show how much money is allocated to youth employment, local services, capital projects and social programmes, and whether the spending is supported by credible revenue assumptions. Independent audits and delivery data will matter more than a list of coalition promises.
A stronger majority does not remove accountability questions
The government will also be judged by the openness of parliamentary scrutiny and its response to criticism. Demonstrations over jobs and public services have placed pressure on political institutions, while parties face the challenge of explaining how electoral promises translate into practical decisions. A majority can pass legislation, but it cannot substitute for public confidence or eliminate the need to explain policy trade-offs.
The coalition's next milestones are a named cabinet, a published programme, a confidence vote and its first fiscal proposals. The durability of the agreement will become clearer when parties must choose between competing priorities rather than endorse a general reform agenda. Morocco has reached an important stage in government formation. The distribution of power, quality of implementation and accountability for results will determine whether the new majority produces a meaningful change in how the country is governed.