Morocco names first female PM

What's happened

Fatima Zahra El Mansouri has been named Morocco's first female prime minister after PAM won the most seats in the parliamentary elections. She is tasked by King Mohammed VI to form a government and will lead negotiations to build a coalition. Turnout was the lowest in two decades as PAM edges ahead of rivals. El Mansouri has previously served as Marrakech mayor and housing minister.

What's behind the headline?

Analysis

• The appointment marks a historic milestone in Moroccan politics, highlighting PAM’s swing toward modernization and secular-leaning policies. The move to appoint a female PM follows a pattern seen in some Arab states, signaling gradual shifts in gender norms within governance.
• The governing challenge will be coalition-building. PAM does not hold a majority and must negotiate with other parties, including potential partners and those in opposition, while balancing expectations around inflation, wages, and job creation.
• The World Cup-driven investments add another layer of urgency and opportunity. The next government will oversee spending and project delivery for 2030 preparations, making coalition politics instrumental to delivering tangible economic outcomes.
• Youth discontent appears to be a central driver of the election, with turnout at historic lows. The new PM will need to demonstrate concrete policies to address unemployment and living costs to maintain public trust.
• Watch for potential friction with outgoing partners and within PAM’s internal leadership as coalition talks begin; the path to a stable government could shape Morocco’s political stability in the near term.

How we got here

El Mansouri’s rise follows PAM’s 2008 founding and its position as a counterweight to the Islamist PJD. The party won 97 of 395 seats, triggering the king’s appointment of a PM-designate. Morocco’s constitutional framework entrusts the king with appointing the head of government from the largest party, while coalition-building is necessary to govern. The vote reflected significant youth discontent and a challenging economic backdrop as the country prepares for large-scale World Cup-related investments in 2030.

Our analysis

All Africa reports on El Mansouri’s historic appointment and coalition negotiations following PAM’s election win; Sky News and Al Jazeera provide context on coalition dynamics and background of El Mansouri; BBC Business offers detail on the PM’s background and statements. New Arab covers regional implications and gender dimensions of the milestone.

Go deeper

• Which parties are likely to join PAM in a coalition?
• How will the new government handle World Cup investments and inflation?

More on these topics

• Morocco - Country in North Africa

  Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country located in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, with land borders with Algeria to the east and Western Sahara to th

• National Rally of Independents - Political party

  The National Rally of Independents, is a political party in Morocco. Despite self-identifying as social-democratic, the party has been described as pro-business and liberal, and the party has a history of cooperating with two other parties with a liberal

• Marrakech - City in Marrakesh-Safi, Morocco

  Marrakesh or Marrakech is the fourth-largest city in Morocco. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh-Safi region. The city lies west of the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. The city was founded circa 1070 by Abu Bakr ibn Umar as the capital of the Almoravid dynasty. The Almoravids established the first major structures in the city and shaped its layout for centuries to come. The red walls of the city, built by Ali ibn Yusuf in 1122–1123, and various buildings constructed in red sandstone afterwards, have given the city the nickname of the "Red City" or "Ochre City". Marrakesh grew rapidly and established itself as a cultural, religious, and trading centre for the Maghreb. After a period of decline, Marrakesh regained its status in the early 16th century as the capital of the Saadian dynasty, with sultans Abdallah al-Ghalib and Ahmad al-Mansur embellishing the city with an array of sumptuous monuments. Beginning in the 17th century, the city became popular among Sufi pilgrims for its seven patron saints who are buried here. In 1912, the French Protectorate in Morocco was established and T'hami El Glaoui became Pasha of Marrakesh and generally...

• Authenticity and Modernity Party - Political party

  The Authenticity and Modernity Party is a political party in Morocco. It was founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali El Himma, an advisor to the king Mohammed VI, and it has been perceived by its opponents and the press as being backed and directed by the monarchy.

• Fouzi Lekjaa - President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation

  Fouzi Lekjaa is a Moroccan football administrator and businessman, who is the president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation since 2014, and a member of the FIFA Council since 2021.

• FIFA World Cup - Football competition

  The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, the sport's global governin

• Najla Bouden - Tunisian engineer, academic and politician

  Najla Bouden, also known as Najla Bouden Romdhane, is a Tunisian geologist and university professor who is currently serving as the Prime Minister of Tunisia.

• Ceuta - Autonomous city of Spain in North Africa

  Ceuta is a Spanish autonomous city on the north coast of Africa. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and is one of nine populated Spanish territories in Africa and, along with Melilla, one o

• Fouad Ali El Himma - Moroccan Politician

  Fouad Ali El Himma is an influential Moroccan politician and senior advisor for Mohammed VI of whom he is said to be a very close friend.

• PJD - Moroccan political party

  The Justice and Development Party, JDP (Arabic: حزب العدالة والتنمية‎; Berber languages: ⴰⴽⴰⴱⴰⵔ ⵏ ⵜⴰⵏⵣⵣⴰⵔⴼⵓⵜ ⴷ ⵜⴰⵏⴼⵍⵉⵜ Akabar en Tnezzarfut ed Tneflit, KNN; French: Parti de la justice

• Istiqlal - Political party

  The Istiqlal or Independence Party is a political party in Morocco. It is a conservative and monarchist party and a member of the Centrist Democrat International and International Democrat Union.

• Israel - Country in the Middle East

  Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.

• Tunisia - Country in North Africa

  Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa, covering 163,610 square kilometres. Its northernmost point, Cape Angela, is also the northernmost point on the African continent.