Morocco’s King Mohammed VI on Tuesday appointed Fatima Zahra Mansouri, coordinator of the collective leadership of the Party of Authenticity and Modernity, as prime minister and tasked her with forming the new government, making her the first woman to hold the post in the country. The appointment was made when the king received Mansouri at the Royal Palace in the capital Rabat, according to a statement carried by Morocco’s official news agency.
Issues facing the new government
Her appointment came a week after the Party of Authenticity and Modernity topped the legislative election results. The incoming government faces a range of political, economic and social issues, including projects linked to Morocco’s participation in hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Fatima Zahra Mansouri — Morocco’s prime minister-designate (2021–2026); minister, lawyer and former president of Marrakech’s council.
Moroccan prime minister-designate
- 2021–2026
Ministerial post
Mansouri served as minister of national territory planning, urban development, housing and city policy from 2021 to 2026. She holds a degree in Anglo-Saxon law from Pace University, a postgraduate diploma in business contract law from the University of Montpellier, and a degree in private law from Mohammed V University in Rabat.
- 22 March 2002
Joining the Bar
Mansouri, a member of the Marrakech Bar since 22 March 2002, began her political career by joining the Movement for All Democrats in 2007, before becoming a founding member of the Party of Authenticity and Modernity in 2008.
- 2009–2015
Presidency of Marrakech Council
She also served as president of Marrakech’s municipal council for two terms, the first from 2009 to 2015 and the second from 2021 to 2027, and was elected as a member of parliament from 2011 to 2016. She also chairs the Moroccan Association of Presidents of Municipal Councils and is a member of the International Association of Francophone Mayors.
Election results and turnout
In 2014, Forbes magazine placed Mansouri at the top of a list of 20 of Africa’s most influential young women, and she was also selected that year as a young global leader. The three parties that made up the outgoing governing coalition topped the results of the legislative elections held last Wednesday. Turnout stood at 38%, Morocco’s lowest in nearly two decades.
The final results showed the Party of Authenticity and Modernity winning 97 seats, ahead of the National Rally of Independents, which came second with 66 seats, while the Istiqlal Party ranked third with 65 seats. The three parties make up the outgoing governing coalition.
