Morocco Appoints Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as First Female Prime Minister

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country’s first-ever female prime minister.

The appointment came on Tuesday after El Mansouri’s Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won the largest number of seats in the previous week’s parliamentary elections. The party did not secure an outright majority, leaving the new prime minister with the task of negotiating with other parties to form a coalition.

Coalition talks ahead

El Mansouri’s experience as the PAM’s national coordinator is expected to support efforts to assemble a governing alliance. The source report does not identify which parties may join the coalition or give a timetable for the negotiations.

A 50-year-old lawyer, El Mansouri has served as mayor of Marrakesh for a number of years and was a minister in the previous coalition government. Her appointment brings a prominent figure with local and national government experience to the head of the Moroccan government.

Pressure over youth and the economy

Her government will face widespread youth discontent in Morocco, alongside concerns over unemployment, the cost of living and persistent social disparities, particularly those affecting young people.

During the election campaign, El Mansouri said, “Young people are going through a crisis and we must provide them with answers.” She also pledged to “restore their hope” and said solutions should be delivered through concrete action rather than speeches.

Morocco has experienced youth frustration linked in the source report to a mass border rush at Spain’s Ceuta enclave in July and deadly Gen-Z-led protests last year. El Mansouri is expected to respond to those concerns as she begins forming her government.

King retains broad constitutional powers

Morocco is a constitutional monarchy in which the king retains sweeping powers over foreign policy, defence and other key portfolios. The prime minister therefore takes office within a political system where the monarch continues to hold significant authority.

Beyond coalition formation and domestic economic pressures, El Mansouri is expected to oversee Morocco’s preparations to co-host the 2030 World Cup. She is also expected to carry forward the government’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara.

The appointment marks a significant moment for women’s political representation in Morocco, while also placing El Mansouri at the centre of efforts to form a stable government and address demands from the country’s young population.