Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Zahra Mansouri as the country’s first female prime minister and tasked her with forming a new government.
The 50-year-old Mansouri belongs to the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), which emerged as the largest party in the parliamentary elections held on September 23, securing 97 seats in the 395-member House of Representatives.
The National Rally of Independents (RNI) finished second with 66 seats, while the Istiqlal Party secured 65 seats.
As PAM fell short of the 198 seats required for a parliamentary majority, Mansouri will need to negotiate with other political parties to form a coalition government.
Under Morocco’s Constitution, the King appoints the prime minister from the political party that wins the largest number of seats in parliamentary elections.
Mansouri previously served as mayor of Marrakech. She was first elected to the position in 2009, becoming the city’s first female mayor. She later expanded her role in national politics and held ministerial responsibilities related to urban planning, housing and regional development.
Her appointment also marks a notable development for women’s representation in government across the Arab world. Mansouri would become the second woman to serve as a prime minister in the Arab world, following Tunisia’s Najla Bouden, who served as prime minister from 2021 to 2023.