The shake-up in Rabat
Real talk: Morocco just hit a major milestone. Fatima Zahra El Mansouri has been appointed as the country’s first female prime minister. King Mohammed VI tapped the 50-year-old lawyer for the role after her party, the Authenticity and Modernity Party (Pam), snagged the most seats in last week’s parliamentary elections.
It’s a big deal. She is only the second woman to head a government in the entire Arab world, following Tunisia’s Najla Bouden. The King reportedly chose her over the party's football chief, Fouzi Lekjaa, to take the lead.
How we got here
El Mansouri isn’t exactly a newcomer to the scene. She’s been the mayor of Marrakesh for years and previously served as a minister for housing and city policy. She’s got the credentials, having studied business and corporate law both in Morocco and abroad in France and the U.S.
Pam won 97 seats, but that’s not enough for an absolute majority in the 395-seat parliament. She needs to hit 198 seats, which means the next step is the messy process of negotiating a coalition. It’s giving “difficult road ahead,” especially since her party had a falling out with the National Rally of Independents (RNI), their former partner. Meanwhile, the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) has already made it clear they’re staying in opposition.
When asked about potential changes to state religious ceremonies—which are traditionally gender-segregated—she played it cool, opting to praise the King’s support for women rather than getting into the weeds of policy changes.
Why it matters
While Morocco is a constitutional monarchy where the King holds the real cards, having a woman as the face of the government is a significant cultural shift. El Mansouri has historically dodged the “iron woman” label, preferring to call herself a “free activist,” and all eyes are now on whether she can navigate the coalition drama and maintain her momentum.
