King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as Morocco's first woman prime minister on Tuesday, marking the first time in the country's history that a woman has held the position.
El Mansouri, 50, was tasked with forming a new government following the September 23 parliamentary election, in which her liberal-centrist Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) secured the most seats with 97 of 395 seats in the Chamber of Representatives. No single party achieved an outright majority.
Under Morocco's constitution, the king appoints the prime minister from the party that won the most parliamentary seats. The newly appointed prime minister then conducts consultations with winning parties to form a governing coalition with sufficient parliamentary support before presenting the government to the monarch.
El Mansouri holds a law degree and has an extensive political career. She previously served as mayor of Marrakech, led the PAM party, and held the housing and urban planning portfolio in the outgoing coalition government led by conservative businessman Aziz Ajanuch, whom she will now replace for the 2026-2031 term.
The royal palace announced the appointment following a meeting between the king and El Mansouri at the palace in Rabat on Tuesday, six days after the parliamentary election. El Mansouri is expected to begin consultations with other winning parties to build a coalition government capable of commanding parliamentary support amid the fragmented composition of the Chamber of Representatives.