Morocco Appoints Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as First Female PM
RABAT, MOROCCO — WEB DESK: Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country’s first female prime minister, marking a historic milestone for women in the North African nation’s political leadership.
El Mansouri, 50, was tasked with forming a new government after her Authenticity and Modernity Party, known as PAM, secured the largest number of seats in the September 23 parliamentary elections.
PAM won 97 seats in Morocco’s 395-member House of Representatives. The National Rally of Independents secured 66 seats, while the Istiqlal Party finished with 65.
Despite finishing first, PAM fell well short of the 198 seats required for a parliamentary majority. El Mansouri will therefore need to negotiate with other political parties to build a governing coalition.
Under Morocco’s constitution, the king appoints the head of government from the political party that wins the largest number of seats in elections to the House of Representatives.
El Mansouri is a lawyer and an experienced political figure who previously served as mayor of Marrakesh and as minister responsible for national territory planning, urban development, housing and city policy.
She first became mayor of Marrakesh in 2009, becoming the first woman to lead the city. She later returned to the mayoral post following the 2021 local elections.
Her appointment also represents a milestone for female political leadership in the Arab world. She becomes the second woman to head a government in an Arab country after Tunisia’s Najla Bouden, who served as prime minister from 2021 to 2023.
The incoming government will face several major domestic challenges, including employment, inflation, economic reforms and demands for improved public services.
Morocco is also preparing for major infrastructure and development projects ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
El Mansouri’s immediate task will be to secure enough parliamentary support to form a coalition government and set out the new administration’s policy programme.
