Morocco’s Authenticity and Modernity Party won the most seats in the country’s parliamentary election, taking 97 of 395 seats in the House of Representatives, according to final results announced by the Ministry of Interior on Friday, September 26, 2026. The monarchy-aligned party fell well short of an absolute majority.
The race for the legislature ended with the Authenticity and Modernity Party, widely known by its French acronym PAM, claiming 97 seats in the lower house of parliament. Despite finishing first, the party faces a complex political road ahead. Under the Moroccan Constitution, King Mohammed VI must appoint a prime minister from the party that wins the most seats. Because PAM fell short of the 198 seats required for an absolute majority, it must negotiate a governing coalition.
The election took place on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, marking the sixth legislative vote since King Mohammed VI ascended to the throne 27 years ago. Participation slumped to just 38 percent among the country’s 15.8 million registered voters.
PAM Coalition Options and Opposition Dynamics
Forming a new administration will require strategic alliances. PAM has stated it will not partner with the National Rally of Independents, its senior partner in the outgoing governing coalition. The RNI suffered severe losses in the vote, seeing its seat count drop from 102 down to 66.
To build a majority, PAM is expected to turn toward the monarchist Istiqlal party, which placed third, alongside other smaller parties. Meanwhile, the moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party staged a dramatic resurgence. After watching its parliamentary presence collapse to just 13 seats in 2021 following a decade in power, the PJD surged back to win 54 seats.
A coalition between PAM and the PJD remains highly unlikely due to a long-standing political rivalry. PAM was founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, a childhood friend and royal adviser close to the king, specifically to serve as a political counterweight to the PJD. Following the latest vote, the PJD announced it will remain in the opposition.
Economic Pressures and Potential Leadership Contenders
The incoming administration will take office amid intense public scrutiny over the domestic economy, youth unemployment, and the cost of living. Voter dissatisfaction intensified following youth-led protests last year over jobs, education, and healthcare, alongside deadly migration attempts toward Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta in July. Even so, the country's economic indicators remain strong, and the incoming government will manage billions of dollars in incoming investments as the nation prepares to co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
Political observers have dubbed the incoming administration a World Cup government
because of its central role in tournament preparations. Handling these economic and social challenges will test the party's leadership, which operates under a collective structure rather than a single head.
Two prominent figures emerge as potential candidates for prime minister. One is Fouzi Lakjaa, 56, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and the national budget minister, who recently joined PAM and has drawn broad public visibility from the nation’s recent soccer achievements. The other is Fatima-Zahra Mansouri, 50, the mayor of Marrakech and minister of urban planning, who also serves as the coordinator of the party’s collective leadership. If chosen, Mansouri would become Morocco’s first female prime minister.