RABAT, September 30: Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has appointed Marrakech Mayor and Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) leader Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country’s first female prime minister, tasking her with forming a new government following her party’s victory in last week’s parliamentary elections.

The Royal Palace said King Mohammed VI met El Mansouri at the Royal Palace in Rabat and instructed her to form the government. Her appointment came after the September 23 parliamentary elections, in which PAM emerged as the largest party in the 395-member House of Representatives.

PAM won 97 seats, 31 more than the next-largest party, but fell short of the 198 seats required for an outright majority. The National Rally of Independents won 66 seats, the Istiqlal Party secured 65, while the Justice and Development Party took 54 seats.

Under Morocco’s constitutional system, the king appoints the prime minister from the party that wins the largest number of seats in parliamentary elections. El Mansouri will now have to negotiate with other political parties to build a coalition capable of forming a government.

Following her appointment, El Mansouri described the development as a historic moment, saying that for the first time in Morocco’s history a woman would lead the government. She said she would first consult within her party before beginning talks with other political parties on forming a coalition government.

Born in Marrakech in 1976, El Mansouri studied law and obtained higher legal qualifications from the University of Montpellier in France. She also earned a diploma in Anglo-Saxon business law from New York University in the United States. She has worked as a lawyer since 2002.

Her political career began in 2007 when she joined the Movement for All Democrats. She became one of the founding figures of the Authenticity and Modernity Party when it was established in 2008.

In 2009, El Mansouri was elected mayor of Marrakech, becoming the city’s first woman mayor. She left the post in 2015 but returned as mayor in 2021.

She joined the national government in 2021 and served as minister responsible for national planning, urban development, housing and urban policy. She has also served as a member of parliament.

The recent parliamentary election recorded a voter turnout of around 38 percent, the lowest level since 2007. Of approximately 15.8 million registered voters, around six million cast their ballots.

PAM campaigned on targets including average annual economic growth of five percent over a five-year period, inflation of around two percent and the creation of at least one million new jobs.

El Mansouri’s government will face a range of economic and social challenges, including unemployment, inflation, rising living costs, healthcare and education services, as well as growing concerns among young people.

Preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup will also be an important issue for the new government. Morocco will co-host the tournament with Portugal and Spain.

El Mansouri also becomes the second woman in the Arab world to serve as prime minister. Tunisia’s Najla Bouden previously served as the country’s prime minister from October 2021 to August 2023.