History Made in Morocco: Fatima Zahra El Mansouri Becomes the Country’s First Female Prime Minister

A Historic Appointment in North Africa

Fatima Zahra El Mansouri has been named Morocco’s first female prime minister, appointed by King Mohammed VI following her centrist Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM)‘s victory in last week’s parliamentary elections. The 50-year-old lawyer and longtime mayor of Marrakesh becomes only the second woman ever to lead a government in the Arab world, after Tunisia’s Najla Bouden. Her appointment marks a significant political milestone not just for Morocco, but for a region where women at the highest levels of executive power remain a rare sight. The announcement follows PAM’s strong electoral performance, which secured it 97 seats in the 395-member parliament.

King Mohammed VI selected El Mansouri over PAM’s other prominent contender, football federation chief Fouzi Lekjaa, a powerful figure within the same party. Under Morocco’s constitution, the king appoints the head of government from whichever party wins the most seats in elections to the House of Representatives — a process that, in this case, carried an unusually high degree of suspense. Since February 2024, PAM has operated under a collective leadership structure rather than a single secretary general, meaning the final decision rested entirely with the palace. El Mansouri herself acknowledged as much after the results came in, stating publicly that the choice ultimately belonged to the king.

Who Is Fatima Zahra El Mansouri?

El Mansouri is one of the most seasoned figures in Moroccan public life. Trained as a lawyer, she studied at Mohammed V University in Rabat before pursuing further education in France and the United States, where she specialised in business and corporate law. She entered politics when PAM was founded in 2008, and just a year later, in 2009, she made history by becoming the first woman to serve as mayor of Marrakesh — a post she reclaimed following the 2021 elections. Her trajectory through Moroccan institutions reflects both personal ambition and a political system gradually opening space for women in leadership roles.

Over the past five years, she served as minister for national territory planning, urban planning, housing and city policy under former Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, gaining executive experience at the national level. In February 2024, she took on the role of co-ordinator of PAM’s leadership coalition, positioning herself at the centre of the party’s decision-making just months before the elections. She has consistently resisted being cast as a symbol of toughness or female exceptionalism — in 2021, she told PAM’s magazine, “I am neither a woman of steel nor iron… I am a free activist.” That self-definition speaks to a politician who prefers to be judged on governance rather than gender.

Questions of Gender in a Constitutional Monarchy

At a victory press conference held before her official appointment, El Mansouri faced a pointed question about how the state would accommodate her presence in Muslim religious ceremonies attended by the king — including Friday prayers and Eid prayers — where men and women traditionally occupy separate sections. Rather than engaging directly with the question, she deflected toward the king, calling him “the biggest advocate for women” in Morocco and expressing that leading the government would be “a great honour.” The exchange highlighted the delicate balance she must strike as a trailblazer operating within a deeply traditional institutional framework.

Notably, throughout her political career, El Mansouri has rarely spoken publicly about women’s rights or gender inequality, even as Morocco continues to debate pressing social questions — including whether polygamy should be abolished and whether men and women should enjoy equal inheritance rights. Her silence on these issues is itself a political choice, reflecting the pragmatic calculus of a politician who has risen within a system that rewards institutional loyalty over social activism. Whether her appointment will translate into substantive policy shifts for Moroccan women remains an open and pressing question for the country’s youth.

The Coalition Challenge Ahead

El Mansouri’s path to effective governance will not be straightforward. With only 97 seats, PAM falls well short of the 198 seats needed for an absolute majority in the 395-member parliament, making coalition-building an immediate priority. The task is complicated by a political falling-out with the National Rally of Independents (RNI), which led the outgoing government in which PAM served as a junior partner — meaning a renewed alliance between the two parties appears unlikely in the short term. The political landscape has also shifted with the strong comeback of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD), which rebounded from just 13 seats to 54, energised by the return of former prime minister Abdelilah Benkirane as party leader.

Benkirane wasted no time in declaring that the PJD would remain in opposition and would refuse any partnership with PAM, further narrowing El Mansouri’s coalition options. Morocco is a constitutional monarchy where most executive power remains concentrated in the hands of King Mohammed VI, which means the new prime minister will need to navigate not only parliamentary arithmetic but also the expectations of the palace. For a generation of young Moroccans watching closely, El Mansouri’s appointment is a signal — but the real test will be what she does with the power she has been given.