RABAT — Morocco has entered a new political era with the appointment of Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country's first female Prime Minister.
King Mohammed VI appointed El Mansouri on Tuesday, September 29, after her liberal-centrist party came out on top in the September 23 parliamentary election, the royal palace said. The King has tasked the 50-year-old with forming the new government.
The appointment marks a historic milestone for the North African kingdom, which has never before had a woman lead its government. El Mansouri is the first woman to hold the office since its creation.
From Courtroom to City Hall to Government
Born on 3 January 1976 in Marrakesh, El Mansouri is a lawyer by profession who studied law at the University of Montpellier in France. She began her career founding a law firm specializing in commercial and real estate transactions before entering politics.
Her political rise has been closely tied to Marrakesh and the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), which she now leads as National Coordinator.
Her career includes:
• Mayor of Marrakesh: First elected in 2009, defeating the incumbent by 54 votes to 35, she served from 2009 to 2015 and was re-elected in September 2021. She has served as incumbent mayor since 17 September 2021.
• Minister of National Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and Urban Policy: Appointed on 7 October 2021 in the government of her predecessor Aziz Akhannouch, a portfolio often shortened to Minister of Housing and Urban Policy.
• Member of Parliament: Represented the Medina-Sidi Youssef constituency from 25 November 2011 to 7 October 2021.
The 50-year-old leader is known for a reformist approach. During her first term as mayor, she pledged to "rule by example," transferring her salary to cover municipal expenses and launching weekly citizen meetings focused on poverty, water and electricity access.
A Historic Mandate
El Mansouri led PAM into the 2026 general election, securing a victory that came close to a majority following the ruling party's defeat. According to the Ministry of the Royal Household, Protocol and Chancellery, King Mohammed VI received her at the Royal Palace in Rabat and formally appointed her as Prime Minister-designate.
In a statement, the royal cabinet said the monarch has now tasked her with "forming the new government" — a process that will involve coalition negotiations and the unveiling of a new cabinet in the coming days.
El Mansouri's appointment is being seen as both symbolic and substantive. As a lawyer, two-term mayor of Morocco's most high-profile city, and former housing minister, she brings executive experience in local governance, urban planning and national policy at a time when Morocco faces challenges around housing, urbanization, youth employment and climate resilience.
She succeeds Aziz Akhannouch, who served as Prime Minister from 2021 to 2026.
If confirmed by parliament, her government will be the first in Moroccan history to be led by a woman.