HIBAPRESS – Abdelatif Barca
After the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) topped the results of the legislative elections of September 23, 2026, securing 97 seats, the political discussion in Morocco shifted from the question of the election results to a more sensitive question: who will lead the next government?
According to Article 47 of the Constitution, the King appoints the Head of Government from the political party that topped the House of Representatives elections, based on its results. The Head of Government then proposes the members of his government.
In the absence of any official announcement regarding the person who will assume the presidency of the government, a group of names have emerged within the Authenticity and Modernity Party. Some possess governmental and political experience, while others have accumulated a strong presence in economic, youth, or institutional files.
Fouzi Lekjaa is at the forefront of the names that have generated the most discussion in recent days.
Fouzi Lekjaa combines a governmental responsibility in the budget sector and the presidency of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation. He also officially joined the Authenticity and Modernity Party last July and became a member of its political bureau.
His name has also been associated with financial files and preparations related to organizing the 2030 World Cup.
However, Lekjaa's presence in the discussion does not mean his appointment is certain. He previously denied in a media statement that he was considering taking on the presidency of the government. Furthermore, his position within the party is relatively recent compared to figures who have accumulated longer party and political experience. Therefore, his name remains part of the open political discussion, not an officially declared candidate.
Abdellatif Ouahbi, the Minister of Justice and a leader in the Authenticity and Modernity Party, has a long political and party record, in addition to continuous governmental and parliamentary experience. Ouahbi managed to win a parliamentary seat again for the North Taroudant constituency, which enhances his presence within both the legislative institution and the party.
The name of Younes Sekkouri, the Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small and Medium Enterprises, Employment and Skills, also stands out as one of the young faces within the party. Sekkouri combines administrative and economic training with governmental experience. He has also accumulated a presence within the party and during the recent electoral contests. This path presents his name among a generation of leaders who can play advanced roles in the next political phase.
From approximately the same generation, the name of Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, a member of the collective leadership of the Authenticity and Modernity Party and the Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication, is present. Bensaid managed to return to parliament after winning in the Rabat surroundings constituency, a constituency with political and symbolic weight within the capital. His position in the party's collective leadership also makes him one of the names that cannot be separated from the discussion about the future leadership of the party and the government.
Fatima Ezzahra Mansouri remains strongly present in this equation, as the national coordinator of the collective leadership of the Authenticity and Modernity Party, the Minister of National Territory Planning, Urbanism, Housing and City Policy, in addition to her experience as the mayor of Marrakech. Her name, even before the elections, has been associated with the possibility of assuming the presidency of the government, which has made her one of the most prominent figures put forward in the political and media discussion.
