Morocco has reached a historic political milestone with the appointment of Fatima Zahra El Mansouri as the country’s first female head of government.
King Mohammed VI appointed Mansouri on September 29 and tasked her with forming a new government, following the victory of her Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) in the September 23 parliamentary elections. The appointment was made in accordance with Article 47 of Morocco’s Constitution, which requires the king to choose the head of government from the party that wins the most seats in the House of Representatives.
PAM won 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives, making it the largest party but falling well short of the 198 seats required for a parliamentary majority. Mansouri will therefore have to negotiate with other parties to form a governing coalition.
Mansouri, 50, is a lawyer and a senior PAM figure. She has previously served as mayor of Marrakesh and as minister responsible for housing and urban planning. Before her appointment, she had been serving as the national coordinator of PAM’s collective leadership.
Her appointment makes Mansouri only the second woman to lead a national government in the Arab world, following Tunisia’s Najla Bouden, who served as prime minister from 2021 to 2023.
The new government will face a range of economic and social challenges, including inflation, unemployment and wages. It will also oversee major infrastructure and investment projects as Morocco prepares to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Spain and Portugal.
Coalition negotiations are expected to be a key early task for Mansouri. PAM has indicated that it is open to discussions with other political parties, while the Justice and Development Party (PJD) has indicated that it will remain outside a PAM-led government.
Mansouri’s appointment marks a significant moment in Morocco’s political history, as she becomes the first woman to lead the country’s government.
