Morocco has its first woman prime minister. King Mohammed VI on Tuesday named Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, the leader of the centre-right Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), as head of government and asked her to form a new cabinet, AFP reported.
“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,” El Mansouri said.
Who she is
El Mansouri, 50, is a familiar figure in Moroccan politics:
- Housing minister in the outgoing government
- Mayor of Marrakesh, the first woman to hold the post, from 2009 to 2015 and again from 2021
- Leader of the PAM, which won the most seats in the recent parliamentary elections
El Mansouri is a lawyer by training, The Express Tribune reported.
A win, but not a majority
In the September 23 election, her party won 97 of the 395 seats in parliament, 31 more than its nearest rival, but not enough to govern alone. The results were:
- Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM): 97 seats
- National Rally of Independents (RNI): 66 seats, the party that led the outgoing coalition
- Istiqlal: 65 seats
- Justice and Development Party (PJD): 54 seats
Turnout fell to about 38 percent, down from about 50 percent five years earlier and the lowest in two decades, a sign of the challenge the new government faces in winning public trust.
The PAM was founded in 2008 by a royal adviser and presents itself as liberal-centrist, in contrast to the Islamist PJD. El Mansouri said she would have no “red lines” in coalition talks. “We have turned the page,” she said.
“The work starts today”
El Mansouri said she would begin coalition talks at once. “The work starts today. We will first initiate internal consultations within our party before holding discussions with all political groups,” she said.
How Morocco’s system works
In Morocco, the king appoints the prime minister from the party that wins the most seats in parliamentary elections. The prime minister then forms a government, which must win the support of parliament. The king keeps wide powers, including over foreign policy, defence and religious affairs.
What to watch
- Coalition partners: which parties join the PAM to give it a working majority in the 395-seat parliament
- The RNI: whether the party that led the last government joins her coalition or moves into opposition
- Turnout: how the new government responds to the low turnout and public frustration it reflects
The job ahead
The new government will oversee the final preparations for the 2030 football World Cup, which Morocco is co-hosting, and must respond to discontent among young people, shown in protests led by Generation Z and in a border incident at Ceuta in July.
Why it matters
El Mansouri’s appointment is a landmark for Morocco and for the Arab world, where few women have led governments. It also shows the rise of a politician who built her profile running one of the country’s best-known cities. Her first test will be putting together a stable coalition from a fragmented parliament elected on a low turnout.
This article draws on reporting by AFP, published by Dawn.
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