Morocco: Who Is Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, Morocco's First Female Prime Minister?

What the report says

Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri has been named Morocco’s first female prime minister, according to RFI’s report distributed by AllAfrica. King Mohammed VI appointed the 50-year-old lawyer on Tuesday and asked her to form a government after her Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) finished first in last week’s parliamentary election with 97 of 395 seats. El Mansouri described the appointment as a historic moment for the country and for Moroccan women.

The report says El Mansouri has long been a prominent figure in PAM, which was founded in 2008. She studied law in the United States and at the University of Montpellier in France, and became the first female mayor of Marrakesh in 2009. After losing that post in 2015, she returned as mayor in 2021 and later served as a minister in outgoing Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch’s government. She also won a parliamentary seat in the recent election.

Because PAM does not hold enough seats to govern alone, El Mansouri will need to build a coalition. She said there would be no “red lines” in those talks. The article notes that she takes office after a low-turnout election and amid pressure from young Moroccans over jobs and economic frustration. PAM campaigned on promises including job creation, stronger growth and lower inflation.