Morocco names Fatima El Mansouri as first woman prime minister

Morocco has appointed Fatima El Mansouri as its first female prime minister after the centrist Authenticity and Modernity Party won the largest number of seats in last week’s parliamentary elections. King Mohammed VI selected El Mansouri, who is 50 and a prominent politician, for the post. She described the appointment as historic and said it was a source of pride for Moroccan women.

“For the first time in our country’s history, a woman is taking on the responsibility of leading the government,” she said. Morocco is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system, although the king retains the greatest power. Under the constitution, he appoints the head of government from the party holding the majority in the House of Representatives.

El Mansouri previously served as mayor of Marrakesh and as minister for national territory planning, urban planning, housing and city policy in the former coalition government. At her party’s victory conference, she praised the king as a strong advocate for women. Her appointment makes her the second woman to lead an Arab nation after Najla Bouden, who was Tunisia’s prime minister from 2021 to 2023, according to the supplied material.

The PAM won the most seats but did not reach the 198 needed for an outright majority. El Mansouri’s immediate task will therefore be to negotiate a coalition government. The coalition will decide how billions of dollars in investments are allocated ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will host with Portugal and Spain.

The supplied material did not specify the number of seats won by PAM or identify potential coalition partners. El Mansouri has previously rejected descriptions of her as an “iron woman” and said she was a free activist. The report noted that she has rarely spoken publicly about women’s rights or gender inequality.