King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as Morocco’s first woman prime minister, tasking the 50-year-old lawyer with forming a new government after her Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won the most seats in last week’s parliamentary election. PAM secured 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives, ahead of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) with 66 and Istiqlal with 65. Because PAM fell short of a majority, El Mansouri must negotiate with other parties to form a coalition and submit her cabinet for royal approval.
El Mansouri, a former mayor of Marrakech and urban-planning minister, has made youth concerns a central issue. Her government is expected to face pressure over unemployment, inflation, wages and public services amid growing frustration among young Moroccans. The September 23 election recorded turnout of about 38%, down from roughly 50% in the previous parliamentary election five years earlier. The Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), which won 54 seats, has said it will remain in opposition. Morocco is a constitutional monarchy in which the king retains significant authority over foreign policy, defense and other strategic areas. Under the constitution, the king appoints the head of government from the party that wins the most seats in parliament.
El Mansouri’s government will also oversee major infrastructure and investment program linked to Morocco’s preparations to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Spain and Portugal. The administration is expected to continue Morocco’s existing policy on the disputed Western Sahara. Her appointment makes El Mansouri the second woman to serve as a prime minister in the Arab world, following Tunisia’s Najla Bouden, who held the post from 2021 to 2023.
