Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country’s first female prime minister, marking a historic milestone for the North African kingdom. The 50-year-old lawyer and politician from the centrist Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) was named to the position following parliamentary elections held last week.
The announcement came four days after the election results showed PAM as the party with the most seats, winning 97 out of 395 in the legislature, though falling far short of a majority. Morocco’s electoral system makes it difficult for any single party to gain full control, requiring El Mansouri to form a coalition government quickly. The appointment was confirmed in a statement from the Royal Palace, with video footage showing King Mohammed VI greeting El Mansouri at the Royal Palace in Rabat.
El Mansouri, who also serves as urban planning and housing minister and had been the mayor of Marrakesh, described her selection as “historic” and a message of pride for women across Morocco. She is the second woman to hold a prime minister post in the Arab world, following Tunisia’s Najla Bouden Romdhane. Experts note that her appointment reflects Morocco’s ongoing efforts to portray itself as a modernizing Muslim country advancing women's roles in government.
El Mansouri has a legal background, having studied law in Morocco, France, and the United States, and is the daughter of Abderrahman El Mansouri, a former ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. She joined PAM when it was founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, a close advisor and childhood friend of the king.
Her appointment arrives amid challenges facing Morocco, including low voter turnout in the recent elections—the lowest in nearly two decades—reflecting public frustration over unemployment, poor public services, and concerns about a continued exodus of citizens seeking better economic opportunities abroad. Analysts note that El Mansouri’s government will need to address these issues, alongside managing large-scale investments linked to Morocco’s co-hosting of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
While the appointment signals progress in gender representation, some observers caution that El Mansouri’s track record as mayor and housing minister has attracted criticism. Last year, she faced allegations of conflict of interest related to a major land sale involving her family, which she denied. Some analysts suggest that the image Morocco seeks to project internationally through her appointment may contrast with domestic realities.
Morocco’s constitutional monarchy grants the king the authority to appoint the prime minister from the party that wins the most legislative seats—a change instituted following the 2011 Arab Spring protests, which limited the monarch’s previously unfettered discretion in such appointments. As prime minister, El Mansouri is expected to focus on economic issues, including inflation, job creation, and improving wages, while navigating the complex coalition-building process inherent in Morocco’s multiparty system.