Morocco’s New PM Akhannouch Begins Coalition Talks Amid COVID Recovery Push

Rachid Talbi Alami, a leading member and multiple-time minister on behalf of the Rassemblement national des indépendants (RNI), said that discussions with the other political parties will begin next week and "without red lines". The future government majority will be "formed on the basis of the programs of the parties concerned," he specified. According to Talbi Alami, there is an urgent need for a common vision and action to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 crisis.

The RNI emerged as the big winner of the last legislative elections with 102 seats, followed by the PAM (86 seats) and the Istiqlal (81 seats). On Friday, King Mohammed VI appointed Aziz Akhannouch, his secretary general, as head of government and instructed him to form the new leadership team. The RNI boss intends to form a "coherent, homogeneous majority and carrying convergent programs".