King Mohammed VI of Morocco has named Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country's first female Head of Government. The appointment was made under Article 47 of the Constitution, which requires the monarch to appoint the head of government from the party that wins the most seats in the House of Representatives. El Mansouri's Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won 97 seats in the recent legislative elections, making it the largest party in the parliament.
El Mansouri succeeds Aziz Akhannouch of the National Rally of Independents (RNI), who had previously served as head of government. She has a strong background in law and politics, having practiced at the Marrakech Bar since 2005 and specializing in real estate law. El Mansouri was born in Marrakech on January 3, 1976, into a prominent legal family. Her father, Abderrahman El Mansouri, was a lawyer and former head of the bar who served as pacha of Marrakech and later as Morocco's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.
El Mansouri has held various positions in politics and government, including serving as mayor of Marrakech from 2009 to 2015 and again from 2021. She has also sat in Parliament from 2011 to 2016 and again from 2016 to 2021. In 2021, she joined Akhannouch's government as minister of national territorial planning, urban planning, housing, and city policy. Her standing rose in February 2024, when she was elected coordinator of PAM's collective leadership.
El Mansouri's appointment makes her the second woman to head a government in the Arab world, after Tunisia's Najla Bouden. She has rejected the label of "iron woman," describing herself instead as a "free activist." El Mansouri has cast her career as one built through party politics and local government rather than gender. She is married and a mother of two.
The incoming government will face significant challenges, including steering billions of dollars in investment as Morocco prepares to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal. The government will also need to address wide public frustration, which was evident in the low turnout of 38% in the recent legislative elections. The Authenticity and Modernity Party has pledged average annual growth of 5%, inflation of 2%, and at least 1 million new jobs over its five-year term.
El Mansouri will need to assemble a governing bloc, as PAM fell short of the 198 seats needed for a majority. The party has 97 seats, while the National Rally of Independents and Istiqlal Party have 66 and 65 seats, respectively. Together, the three parties hold 228 seats, providing a potential base for a governing coalition. El Mansouri has noted that negotiations have not yet begun and that there is "no party with which we refuse to sit down."
The palace retains control over strategic portfolios, including defense and foreign affairs. The election outcome was fairly predictable, with the Authenticity and Modernity Party not achieving a landslide victory despite significant resources deployed. The party's leader, Abdellatif Ouahbi, claimed that the goal was to win every match, while the Justice and Development Party staged a sharp comeback, rising from 13 seats in 2021 to 54.
Key points
- Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri is Morocco's first female Head of Government.
- El Mansouri's appointment follows the September 23 legislative elections, in which her Authenticity and Modernity Party won 97 seats.
- El Mansouri will need to assemble a governing bloc to achieve her policy goals, including average annual growth of 5% and at least 1 million new jobs over five years.
