Morocco Appoints El Mansouri as First Woman Prime Minister

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country’s first woman prime minister, marking a major change in its political leadership.

The 50-year-old politician, who also serves as mayor of Marrakesh, will form a new government after her Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) emerged with the most seats in last week’s parliamentary election.

The Royal Palace announced the appointment on Tuesday, September 29, after King Mohammed VI received El Mansouri at the Royal Palace in Rabat. He tasked her with forming the next government under Article 47 of the constitution.

El Mansouri described the appointment as “truly historic”, saying it represented the first time a woman would lead Morocco’s government.

“For the first time in our country’s history, a woman is taking on the responsibility of leading the government. This is a source of pride not only for me but for all Moroccan women,” she said.

Her appointment followed the September 23 parliamentary election, in which PAM won 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives. The result made it the largest party but left it 101 seats short of the 198 required for a majority.

El Mansouri must therefore negotiate with other parties before she can form a governing majority. The National Rally of Independents won 66 seats, while the Istiqlal Party secured 65.

The Justice and Development Party (PJD) won 54 seats and has indicated that it will remain in opposition. Other opposition groups have also signalled that they will not join the new administration.

Coalition talks will shape the new government’s priorities, including major investment and preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Morocco will host the tournament jointly with Portugal and Spain.

El Mansouri’s appointment also gives Morocco its first female head of government and makes her only the second woman to hold such a position in the Arab world.

The first was Tunisia’s Najla Bouden, who served as prime minister from October 2021 to August 2023.

Born in Marrakesh in 1976, El Mansouri trained as a lawyer before entering politics. She studied private law at Mohammed V University and later pursued postgraduate studies in France and the United States.

Her political career began in local government. In 2009, she became the first woman elected mayor of Marrakesh, a position she later regained after the 2021 elections.

She also served successive terms in the House of Representatives before moving into the national cabinet in October 2021.

King Mohammed VI appointed her Minister of National Spatial Planning, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Policy under the government of Aziz Akhannouch.

Her ministerial portfolio included housing support, urban planning and spatial development. She also handled the relocation of people affected by the Al Haouz earthquake.

El Mansouri now faces the immediate challenge of assembling a coalition and presenting a government capable of securing parliamentary support.