Morocco's King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima El Mansouri as the country's first female prime minister. El Mansouri, 50, was chosen after her party, the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), won 97 seats in the 395-seat House of Representatives in the September 23 parliamentary elections. According to the Moroccan constitution, the king appoints the prime minister from the party that wins the most seats in the elections.
El Mansouri now faces the task of forming a coalition government that can secure a parliamentary majority. The PAM has only 97 seats, short of the 198 needed to achieve a majority in the House of Representatives. El Mansouri has stated that she has no "red lines" when it comes to forming alliances, while the Justice and Development Party has announced its intention to remain in the opposition and not participate in a coalition with the PAM.
El Mansouri has a long background in politics and law. Born in Marrakech on January 3, 1976, she studied private law at the University of Mohammed V in Rabat and specialized in commercial contract law at the University of Montpellier in France. She also studied Anglo-American law at the University of Pisa in the United States. El Mansouri is a lawyer specializing in land and real estate law and has been a member of the Marrakech Bar Association since 2005.
El Mansouri has held several political and executive positions in the past. She was a member of parliament from 2011 to 2016 and served as president of the National Council of the PAM from 2015 to 2024. She was re-elected as a member of parliament from 2016 to 2021 and has been a member of the party's collective leadership since 2024. In October 2021, El Mansouri joined the Moroccan government as minister of national planning, urban planning, housing, and city policy.
El Mansouri's appointment as prime minister marks a significant milestone in the rise of women to high-ranking positions in Morocco. Several women have held prominent positions in the country, including Zlikha Nassiri, the first woman to serve as advisor to the king, and Zeinab El Adawi, who headed the Supreme Audit Institution. El Mansouri's background is rooted in Marrakech, where her father, Abdel Rahman El Mansouri, served as a lawyer and pasha before being appointed ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.
El Mansouri's new role comes at a time when the next government will need to address economic and social issues while building a parliamentary coalition capable of passing its program. The PAM's limited seats in parliament will require El Mansouri to form alliances with other parties to achieve a majority. Her appointment is seen as a significant step forward for women's representation in Moroccan politics.
The Authenticity and Modernity Party's victory in the parliamentary elections was a significant achievement, and El Mansouri's appointment as prime minister is expected to bring a new perspective to the country's leadership. Her experience in politics, law, and government will be crucial in navigating the challenges facing Morocco.
Key points
- Fatima El Mansouri becomes Morocco's first female prime minister.
- El Mansouri's party, the Authenticity and Modernity Party, won 97 seats in the parliamentary elections.
- El Mansouri faces the task of forming a coalition government to secure a parliamentary majority.
