Fatima Zahra El Mansouri Named Morocco's First Female Prime Minister
- King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Zahra El Mansouri as Morocco's first female prime minister after her party won the most seats in parliament
- El Mansouri, 50, is a lawyer and longtime mayor of Marrakesh who also served as a minister in the previous coalition government
- Her appointment makes her only the second woman to lead a government in the Arab world, after Tunisia's Najla Bouden
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Morocco has made history with King Mohammed VI appointing Fatima Zahra El Mansouri as the country's first female prime minister, following her Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) clinching the most seats in last week's parliamentary elections.
The 50-year-old politician becomes only the second woman to head a government in the Arab world, after Tunisia's Najla Bouden.
Source: Twitter
According to BBC, King Mohammed VI chose El Mansouri over PAM's other prominent figure, football federation chief Fouzi Lekjaa, who was also considered for the role.
From Marrakesh's city hall to the Prime Minister's office
El Mansouri's rise to the top of Moroccan politics has been gradual but consistent. A trained lawyer who studied at Mohammed V University in Rabat before pursuing further education in France and the United States with a focus on business and corporate law, she joined PAM shortly after its founding in 2008.
In 2009, she became the first woman to serve as mayor of Marrakesh, a post she returned to following the 2021 elections. Most recently, she served in the outgoing coalition government under former Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, holding the portfolio covering national territory planning, urban planning, housing and city policy. In February 2024, she was named co-ordinator of PAM's collective leadership structure.
Speaking at a victory press conference before her formal appointment, El Mansouri was asked whether religious ceremonies attended by the king, including Friday and Eid prayers where men and women pray in separate sections, would require any adjustments because of her new role. She sidestepped the question and focused instead on the king's record on gender issues.
"His Majesty is the holder of wisdom... If I am entrusted with the responsibility of head of government, it will be a great honour," she said.
El Mansouri has previously resisted being cast as a symbol. In a 2021 interview with PAM's magazine, she pushed back against her image as a tough political operator: "I am neither a woman of steel nor iron... I am a free activist."
Coalition challenge ahead
Despite the election victory, PAM faces a difficult path to governing. The party secured 97 seats, well short of the 198 required for an absolute majority in the 395-member House of Representatives. Coalition talks are complicated by a breakdown in relations with the National Rally of Independents (RNI), which led the outgoing government in which PAM served as a junior partner.
The Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) made a strong comeback, winning 54 seats after holding only 13 in the previous parliament, buoyed by the return of former prime minister Abdelilah Benkirane as party leader. Benkirane has already ruled out any partnership with PAM, saying the party would remain in opposition.
Morocco operates as a constitutional monarchy, with the king holding broad executive authority. Under the constitution, the king appoints the head of government from whichever party finishes first in elections to the lower house of parliament.
Source: Legit.ng
