Morocco's King Mohammed VI has named Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country's first female prime minister. El Mansouri's Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won 97 of 395 seats and must build a coalition to govern. The new government will oversee major investments, including projects linked to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, while El Mansouri brings experience as Marrakesh's mayor and as a national minister.
Historic Breakthrough: Morocco Appoints Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as First Female Prime Minister
Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri takes part in an electoral rally for Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) ahead of the legislative elections, in Tangier, Morocco [File: Mosa'ab Elshamy/AP Photo]
Morocco's King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri to form a new government, making her the first woman to serve as prime minister in Morocco and the second woman in the Arab world to hold that post.
The royal palace announced that El Mansouri, 50, who currently serves as Minister of National Spatial Planning, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Policy and is the mayor of Marrakesh, has been charged with assembling a coalition cabinet after her party emerged as the largest in last week's parliamentary vote.
"For the first time in our country's history, a woman is taking on the responsibility of leading the government," El Mansouri said in a televised address, calling the appointment "truly historic" and a source of pride for Moroccan women.
Election Outcome and Coalition Challenge
El Mansouri's Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives — the largest single share but well short of the 198 seats needed for an outright majority. Forming a coalition will be El Mansouri's immediate and critical task; the new government must negotiate with other parties while some, including the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) and the Federation of Democratic Left, have already signaled they will remain in opposition.
Key Priorities and National Stakes
The incoming coalition will oversee major public investments and policy decisions, including billions in projects tied to Morocco's central role in hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup alongside Portugal and Spain. El Mansouri will also confront domestic priorities carried over from her ministerial portfolio, such as housing initiatives, urban-planning reforms and rehousing efforts for those affected by the Al Haouz earthquake.
Background and Political Career
Born in Marrakesh in 1976, El Mansouri trained as a lawyer, earning an advanced studies diploma from the University of Montpellier and a diploma in Anglo‑Saxon business law from New York University. She was elected mayor of Marrakesh in 2009, the first woman to hold that position, and later returned to head the city's municipal council after the 2021 local elections. She has served multiple terms in the House of Representatives and joined the national cabinet in October 2021.
Founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, a close associate of the king, PAM has indicated it is open to coalition talks with other parties, but negotiations are expected to be complex. Observers say the composition and priorities of the new government will shape Morocco's economic and urban-development agenda in the run-up to 2030.
Context: El Mansouri follows Tunisia's Najla Bouden as the second woman in the Arab world to become prime minister (Bouden served from October 2021 until August 2023).
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