&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Who is Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, Morocco's first woman prime minister?")
Morocco has appointed Marrakesh mayor Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country's first woman prime minister, marking a historic moment in the nation's political history. King Mohammed VI tasked the 50-year-old politician with forming the new government after her centre-right Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) emerged as the largest party in last week's parliamentary elections.
PAM secured 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives, placing it 31 seats ahead of the second-largest party. However, the election recorded Morocco's lowest voter turnout in two decades. The royal cabinet announced El Mansouri's appointment and confirmed that she had been asked to begin the process of forming the next government. Speaking in a televised address after the announcement, El Mansouri described her appointment as a historic achievement.
"For the first time in our country's history, a woman is taking on the responsibility of leading the government," she said. “This is a source of pride not only for me but for all Moroccan women.” Because PAM does not hold an outright parliamentary majority, El Mansouri will need to negotiate with other political parties to build a governing coalition. Morocco's monarch, meanwhile, continues to retain significant powers over major areas of national policy.
El Mansouri said the process of building the government would begin immediately. "For the new premier, "the work starts today", she said. “We will first initiate internal consultations within our party before holding discussions with all political groups.” El Mansouri has been associated with PAM since 2008, the year the party was established by Fouad Ali El Himma, a current royal adviser. The party was created in part as a political counterweight to Morocco's Islamist movement.
From Marrakesh mayor to national leader
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El Mansouri has a long record in local and national politics. She first became mayor of Marrakesh in 2009, becoming the first woman to hold the position. She lost the mayoral post six years later but returned to the position in 2021. Her political career subsequently expanded to the national level, where she took on senior government responsibilities. Her appointment as prime minister now makes her the first woman to lead Morocco's government.
Economic and social challenges ahead
El Mansouri's incoming government faces several major challenges, including unemployment, rising living costs and persistent social inequalities, particularly among young Moroccans. The parliamentary election followed a period of heightened concern over economic and social conditions. Just weeks earlier, tens of thousands of mainly young Moroccan migrants had travelled to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, an episode that drew renewed attention to frustrations among the country's youth.
A year earlier, a Gen-Z-led protest movement had also taken to the streets, calling for improvements in healthcare and education.
"We are fully aware that this period will be significant and marked by high expectations from Moroccans, particularly young people," El Mansouri said. "That is why we will have a programme offering concrete and realistic solutions to citizens' concerns."
PAM campaigned on an economic programme that includes a target of average annual growth of five percent, inflation of 2 per cent and the creation of at least one million jobs during its five-year term.
Morocco election results
PAM finished first with 97 seats, followed by the National Rally of Independents (RNI), which led the outgoing coalition, with 66 seats. The right-wing Istiqlal Party finished third with 65 seats, while the Islamist opposition Justice and Development Party (PJD) won 54 seats. The PJD's result represented a major recovery from 2021, when it secured only 13 seats. During its campaign, the party placed significant emphasis on tackling corruption.
PJD leader and former prime minister Abdelilah Benkirane described the result as a "victory" but said his party would not join a coalition headed by PAM. He accused the election of being "tainted by fraud", although he did not provide details to support the allegation.
Who is Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri?
Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, 50, is a lawyer and veteran Moroccan politician who has held several prominent positions at both local and national levels. She entered the spotlight in 2009 when she became mayor of Marrakesh, making history as the first woman to occupy the post. After losing the position in 2015, she returned as mayor in 2021.
El Mansouri later moved into national government, serving as Morocco's minister responsible for national planning, urban development, housing and urban policy under outgoing Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch. She has also served as the national coordinator of PAM's collective leadership. Her background in municipal government, housing and national administration will now be central to her efforts to assemble a coalition and establish Morocco's next government.
