By Ahmed Eljechtimi
RABAT, Oct 12 (Reuters) – Morocco’s centrist Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), which came first in last month’s parliamentary election, announced on Monday that it will form a coalition government with three other parties.
The alliance — comprising moderate socialist groups and the nationalist Istiqlal Party — controls 207 seats in the legislature, surpassing the 198‑seat threshold required for a majority.
The coalition said the agreement “creates a strong government grounded in ideological and political affinity, united by a common reformist vision,” and added that it will soon nominate a cabinet.
King Mohammed VI appointed PAM leader Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as Morocco’s first female head of government, charging her with forming a cabinet after PAM’s victory in the September 23 vote.
Founded in 2008 by a royal adviser, PAM has positioned itself as a counterweight to the Islamist Justice and Development Party, championing social modernization.
The new administration will supervise the final phase of a $20‑billion program to ready the country for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co‑host with Portugal and Spain.
It must also respond to youth demands for better jobs, education and health services — issues that sparked the Gen Z protests last year and the Ceuta migration crisis in July.
Nevertheless, the vote is unlikely to shift Morocco’s overall policy direction; as a constitutional monarchy, the king retains decisive authority over foreign affairs, defence and other core portfolios.
(Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)