Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri has been named Morocco’s first female prime minister, marking another milestone in a political career that began with her historic election as the first woman to lead Marrakesh in 2009.
The 50-year-old lawyer studied law in the United States and at France’s University of Montpellier. Trilingual, she entered national politics through the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), joining in 2008 when it was founded by Fouad Ali El Himma, an adviser to Morocco’s king.
El Mansouri first gained national attention at the age of 33, when she became Marrakesh’s first female mayor. After losing the position to the Justice and Development Party (PJD) in 2015, she returned to office in 2021.
Her political rise continued under outgoing Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, whose government included El Mansouri as a minister. She was also elected to parliament in the latest vote, although her seat will pass to the next candidate on her party list. She is expected to remain mayor of Marrakesh until municipal elections in 2027.
Her appointment follows an election that propelled PAM from the second-largest party in the outgoing coalition to the leading position. However, the party lacks enough seats to govern alone and must negotiate with potential coalition partners. El Mansouri has said there would be no “red lines” in those discussions.
A government facing pressure from young voters
El Mansouri takes office amid concerns about youth dissatisfaction, economic opportunities and declining electoral participation. Turnout in the latest election fell to 38%, compared with 50% five years earlier.
Youth-led protests in 2025 and a mass border crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in July brought public frustration into focus. In September 2025, El Mansouri, then PAM’s national coordinator, acknowledged that public policies had failed to meet young people’s expectations.
“If we had succeeded, we would not now be hearing these voices in the streets and on social media, and this anger would not exist,” she said at the time.
PAM campaigned on promises to create at least one million jobs during its term, achieve average annual economic growth of 5% and keep inflation at 2%.
“We are fully aware that this period will be important and marked by high expectations from Moroccans, especially young people,” El Mansouri said after her appointment.
Her government’s ability to form a coalition and deliver on those economic commitments will be central to its early challenges.
