King Mohammed VI on Tuesday appointed Marrakesh mayor Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as Morocco’s first female prime minister, tasking her with forming a new government after her party’s decisive victory in last week’s parliamentary elections.
Election victory paves the way
El Mansouri’s centre-right Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) topped the polls, securing 97 of 395 seats in the House of Representatives — 31 seats ahead of its nearest rival, despite the lowest voter turnout recorded in the country in two decades.
The royal cabinet confirmed the appointment, formally charging the 50-year-old official with the task of building a new administration. El Mansouri previously served as Minister of National Territory Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and City Policy.
A coalition government ahead
Without a parliamentary majority, PAM will need to partner with other parties to govern over its five-year term, though the monarchy continues to hold significant authority over major state policy.
El Mansouri made history twice before, becoming Marrakesh’s first female mayor in 2009. She lost the post six years later before reclaiming it in 2021. PAM itself was established in 2008 by royal adviser Fouad Ali El Himma.
Jobs and youth concerns take centre stage
The incoming government faces mounting pressure over unemployment, rising living costs and deep social inequalities affecting young Moroccans in particular.
During campaigning, El Mansouri acknowledged the depth of youth frustration, saying young people were “going through a crisis and we must provide them with answers.”
The election followed a wave of Gen-Z-led protests a year earlier demanding improved healthcare and education systems.
PAM has set ambitious economic targets for its term, pledging five percent annual growth, inflation held at two percent, and the creation of at least one million jobs.
The outgoing National Rally of Independents (RNI) finished second with 66 seats, followed by the Istiqlal party with 65. The Justice and Development Party (PJD) surged to 54 seats after campaigning heavily on anti-corruption pledges — a sharp rise from just 13 seats in 2021.
— ANN
