Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri Takes the Helm of Morocco's Government
In a groundbreaking move for Morocco, King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country's first female Prime Minister, tasking her with the formation of a new government. The royal appointment took place on Tuesday at the royal palace in Rabat, marking a significant milestone in Moroccan politics. El Mansouri, a 50-year-old politician from the winning political party, the Party for Authenticity and Modernity (PAM), is set to lead the nation at a pivotal time.
Challenges Ahead for the New Prime Minister
Following her appointment, El Mansouri faces the crucial task of assembling a parliamentary majority for her government. The PAM emerged victorious in the parliamentary elections held on September 23, securing 97 out of the 395 available seats. However, achieving an absolute majority requires 198 seats, which indicates that El Mansouri will need to forge alliances with at least one other strong partner and likely establish a broader coalition to effectively govern.
The appointment was made under Article 47 of the Moroccan Constitution, which stipulates that the King selects the Prime Minister from the party that has won the most seats in the Chamber of Representatives. Immediately after her appointment, El Mansouri announced her intention to engage in discussions within the PAM and with other political parties to propose a government that meets the expectations of both the King and the citizens.
“We are fully aware of the significance of this stage and the high expectations of the citizens, particularly the youth,” El Mansouri stated after her audience with the King. She emphasized her commitment to developing a government program that offers “realistic and concrete solutions” to pressing issues.
Throughout the coalition negotiations, El Mansouri has indicated that the PAM will not impose any political “red lines” initially, suggesting a willingness to discuss alliances and decisions within the party's committees. Potential partners primarily include larger parties within the newly elected parliament, and the PAM has expressed openness to dialogue even with political competitors. Notably, El Mansouri has highlighted fundamental differences with the Islamist-leaning Justice and Development Party (PJD) on social and political issues.
In her vision for the new government, El Mansouri has pinpointed purchasing power and the situation of young people as key priorities, alongside employment, education, and a more robust dialogue between the government and the populace. The composition and collective program of the new government will be central to the coalition negotiations, and only after the government is formed will it become clear which parties will support the PAM in implementing its political agenda.
The new government will also tackle extensive economic and social policy challenges, with significant infrastructure projects related to the 2030 FIFA World Cup looming on the horizon, an event that Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal. El Mansouri, born in 1976 in Marrakech, is a trained lawyer with studies in law both in Rabat and Montpellier, and has been practicing as an attorney since 2005.
A founding member of the PAM established in 2008, El Mansouri served as the mayor of Marrakech from 2009 to 2015 and resumed the position in 2021, concurrently holding the ministerial role for urban planning, housing, and urban policy. Since 2024, she has coordinated the PAM’s collective leadership and led the party to victory in the 2026 parliamentary elections. Remarkably, she did not claim the position of Prime Minister immediately after the election, deferring the decision to the King.
With this appointment on September 29, Morocco takes a historic step as a woman assumes the leadership of its government for the first time.
As reported by fokus-afrika.de.
