Fatima Zahra Mansouri has been appointed as Morocco's first female Prime Minister. The Moroccan royal cabinet announced this news on Tuesday. Mohammed VI, the King of Morocco, has instructed Mansouri to form the next government.
Mansouri's Historic Role
According to Morocco's constitution, the king has the right to appoint the Prime Minister, but he must choose someone from the winning party in the parliamentary elections. Mansouri's appointment comes after her party, the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), won the parliamentary elections last week.
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The PAM party won 97 seats out of a total of 395 in the House of Representatives, achieving 31 seats more than its closest rival. However, this election had the lowest voter turnout in the last two decades.
Expectations and Challenges
Mansouri stated, "For the first time in our country's history, a woman has taken on the responsibility of leading the government. This is not only a source of pride for me but for all Moroccan women." She is also the second woman to serve as Prime Minister in the Arab world, after Najla Bouden, who held the position in Tunisia from 2021 to 2023.
Mansouri's government must address important citizen issues, including combating inflation, increasing wages, and creating jobs. At the same time, she expects to oversee billions of dollars in investments related to Morocco hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Mansouri expressed, "We are fully aware that this period is very significant and will come with high expectations from Moroccans, especially the youth. For this reason, we will present a program that addresses the concerns of citizens."
Mansouri is also the first woman to be elected as the mayor of the city of Marrakech. She was elected mayor in 2009 and served in this position for six years. She regained this position in 2021. In addition to her mayoral role, she has also been a member of parliament.
This 50-year-old has been a member of the PAM party since its establishment in 2008. The party was founded as a balancing force against the country's Islamic movement. Until 2024, Mansouri was one of the top leaders of this party.
Her task now is to form a government, and the PAM party has announced that it is ready to cooperate with all parties for this purpose. Some parties, including the moderate Islamic Justice and Development Party and the Democratic Left Federation, have announced their intention to remain in opposition.
