Morocco’s King Mohammed VI on Tuesday appointed Fatima Zahra Mansouri as the country’s first woman prime minister, marking a historic milestone in the North African kingdom's political history.
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Mansouri, a 50-year-old lawyer who also served as the mayor of Marrakech and urban planning minister, has been tasked with forming a new government, the Royal Palace said in a statement. The appointment came four days after the announcement of parliamentary election results, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Mansouri's Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) emerged as the largest party in the September 23 elections, securing 97 of the 395 seats in parliament, according to Morocco's Interior Ministry. The party will now have to negotiate with other political formations to secure a governing majority, as no single party won enough seats to govern independently.
She becomes the second woman to serve as prime minister in the Arab world after Tunisia's Najla Bouden, who held the position between 2021 and 2023, AP reported.
Coalition formation and economic challenges
Mansouri is expected to begin coalition negotiations in the coming days, with her administration facing the challenge of addressing economic concerns, including inflation, wages and employment, according to AP.
Her government will also oversee billions of dollars in investments linked to preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal, the news agency reported.
Under Morocco's electoral system, the king appoints the head of government from the political party that secures the largest number of seats in the House of Representatives. However, the appointment does not give the party an automatic parliamentary majority, making coalition negotiations necessary, according to .
The provision was introduced through Morocco's 2011 constitutional reforms following protests during the Arab Spring. The reforms linked the appointment of the head of government to the outcome of parliamentary elections, restricting the monarch's earlier discretion in selecting the prime minister.
Al Jazeera
Mansouri's political background
Mansouri joined PAM when it was founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, a close adviser and longtime friend of King Mohammed VI. The party has positioned itself as a counterweight to the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), advocating social modernisation and secular-leaning policies, reported.
A French law graduate from the University of Montpellier, Mansouri rose through the party's ranks and became a prominent political figure. She has served as a member of parliament and twice as the mayor of Marrakech, while also holding the urban planning portfolio in the outgoing government, according to AP and .
PAM victory and opposition parties
PAM's victory marks its first time emerging as the largest party in a parliamentary election since its establishment. It secured 97 seats, followed by the National Rally of Independents (RNI) with 66 seats and the Istiqlal Party with 65 seats, according to the final results announced by Morocco's Interior Ministry.
The moderate Islamist Justice and Development Party secured 54 seats. Its leader and former prime minister Abdelilah Benkirane said the party would remain in opposition, reported.
PAM's coalition-building efforts will take place against the backdrop of political dissatisfaction and declining voter participation. Turnout stood at approximately 38% of Morocco's 15.8 million registered voters, compared with around 50% in the 2021 parliamentary elections, according to .
The election was held following youth-led protests in Morocco last year, which raised concerns over employment, healthcare and education, as well as the migration crisis involving attempts by migrants to enter the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in July, and Al Jazeera reported.
