Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country’s first woman prime minister following parliamentary elections held on September 23. The appointment was announced on September 29 by the Royal Palace.
El Mansouri, 50, is a lawyer and a senior figure in Morocco’s Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM). She previously served as mayor of Marrakech and as minister responsible for housing and urban planning.
Her appointment followed PAM’s performance in the parliamentary election. The party won 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives, giving it the largest parliamentary bloc but not an outright majority.
The king has tasked El Mansouri with forming a new government. She will need to negotiate with other parties to establish a parliamentary coalition before presenting the new administration for royal approval.
The National Rally of Independents won 66 seats, while the Istiqlal Party secured 65. The Islamist Justice and Development Party won 54 seats and is expected to move into opposition.
El Mansouri’s government will also face preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco is co-hosting with Spain and Portugal.
The new administration is expected to address economic issues including employment and living costs. She has also said there would be no red lines in coalition talks as she works to form the government.
