Fatima Zahraa Al-Mansouri became the first woman to head the government in the history of Morocco, after King Mohammed VI appointed her on Tuesday (September 29, 2026) after her Authenticity and Modernity Party topped the legislative elections. She finds herself facing major challenges, foremost of which is restoring youth confidence in institutions and reducing social disparities.
From the "notables" of Marrakesh
Al-Mansouri (50 years old) comes from a family of notables in Marrakesh, the city from which her political career began. She was elected mayor in 2009, becoming the first woman to hold this position. She returned to the mayor's office in 2021 for a six-year term.
Al Mansouri entered politics with the founding of the Authenticity and Modernity Party in 2008, and was elected as a member of parliament two years later.
In last Wednesday's elections, she again won a parliamentary seat among the 97 seats won by her party, topping the results without achieving an absolute majority in the 395-seat House of Representatives.
Although she has been a well-known name for years at the local level in Marrakesh, one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Kingdom, Al-Mansouri has only advanced to the forefront of the leadership of the Authenticity and Modernity Party in recent years.
In 2024, she became the party's national coordinator within a tripartite collective leadership.
Even during the recent election campaign, Fatima Zahraa Al-Mansouri was not alone in the forefront of the scene, as Fawzi Lakjaa, president of the Moroccan Football Federation and a newcomer to the party, emerged alongside her, and whose name was also circulated in the media as a potential candidate for prime minister.
In the outgoing government, Al-Mansouri held the position of Minister of National Territorial Preparation, Construction, Housing and City Policy, and specifically supervised a program for direct support for housing acquisition. However, its presence in the national political debate remained more reserved than its presence in local and party affairs.
It must now form a coalition with other parties to ensure a parliamentary majority that allows its government to function.
The challenge of restoring the “confidence” of young people
Al-Mansouri faces a greater challenge related to restoring confidence in elected institutions, after the participation rate in the elections did not exceed about 38 percent, which is the lowest in two decades. The crisis of confidence is most evident among young people, who are also among the groups most affected by unemployment and social disparities.
Less than two months before the elections, the migration crisis in Ceuta reflected the extent of social pressures, after tens of thousands of migrants tried to cross the Moroccan border into the Spanish enclave.
A year ago, young people led daily protests called for by the “Generation Z 212” movement, launched by anonymous activists via the Internet, which lasted about two weeks, demanding reforms in the health and education sectors and combating bribery, and included acts of violence.
During the election campaign, Al Mansouri acknowledged the scale of the challenge, saying, “Young people are going through a crisis, and we must provide them with answers. We want to restore hope to them, not only through speeches, but through concrete solutions.”
A government charged with preparing the country to host the 2030 World Cup
In its electoral program, the Authenticity and Modernity Party promised to create one million job opportunities within five years and achieve annual growth at a rate of 5 percent, in addition to measures to support purchasing power and improve public services in health and education.
But Al-Mansouri’s career remained linked especially to Marrakesh. She said in a recent press interview, "I started politics at the local level, and I draw confidence from the citizens of Marrakesh who trusted me."
Her local experience was not without setbacks, as she lost the mayorship in 2015 to the Islamist Justice and Development Party.
The Authenticity and Modernity Party was founded in 2008 by Fouad Ali al-Himma, the current advisor to the king, in the context of the rise of Islamists, before he left in 2011 during the wave of “Arab Spring” protests. That stage led to the adoption of a new constitution that expanded the powers of the government and parliament, while the king retained broad powers in strategic areas, especially foreign policy and defense.
