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BackFatima Ezzahra el-Mansouri becomes Morocco's new head of government
Fatima Ezzahra el-Mansouri becomes Morocco's new head of government
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Handelsblatt56 minutes agoPolitics2 min readGermanyView original

Fatima Ezzahra el-Mansouri becomes Morocco's new head of government

The 50-year-old has to form a coalition in order to govern

Fatima Ezzahra El-MansouriMoroccohead of government

Quick Look

  • Fatima Ezzahra el-Mansouri was born by King Mohammed VI. appointed as Morocco's new head of government.
  • The 50-year-old lawyer and former mayor of Marrakesh has to negotiate a coalition as her party PAM won 97 of 395 seats in the election, 101 seats short of an absolute majority.
  • Morocco will host the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Morocco is a constitutional monarchy with democratic elements. The king retains significant power while the parliament and government are elected. The PAM won the most seats in the recent parliamentary election, but not an absolute majority.

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Fatima Ezzahra el-Mansouri becomes the new head of government of the North African state. The 50-year-old still has to negotiate a coalition. Your country will soon be co-organizing a world event.

Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri: New government faces economic and social challenges. Photo: AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy

Marrakesh. In Morocco, for the first time in the country's history, a woman is at the head of government. King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Ezzahra el-Mansouri as the new head of government and tasked her with forming a new cabinet, the Moroccan news agency MAP reported.

The El-Mansouri party – the monarchist PAM – won the most seats in the parliamentary elections a week ago with 97 of 395 seats. According to the Moroccan constitution, the king appoints the head of government from the party with the most seats.

After her appointment, the 50-year-old said she was honored to be entrusted with forming the next government. Talks with other political forces should now begin.

El Mansouri is a trained lawyer. She was mayor of Marrakesh and has been Minister of Urban Policy since 2021. In 2024, she became part of the PAM's three-person collective leadership. Morocco is a monarchy with democratic elements. Parliaments and governments are elected, but in fact most of the power lies with King Mohammed VI.

The PAM's 97 seats are 101 seats short of the 198 seats required for an absolute majority. El Mansouri must therefore negotiate a coalition in order to govern. According to official information, voter turnout was 38.02 percent.

The new government faces economic and social challenges. It must also support major investments in connection with the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will host together with Spain and Portugal.

More: Desert electricity for Germany: Morocco supports the Sila Atlantic mega project

dpa Published according to the editorial standards of the Handelsblatt. You can find more information in our guidelines.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

  • El Mansouri will present a coalition agreement within the next few weeks.

    Likely · Within weeks

  • The new government will prioritize preparations for the 2030 World Cup.

    Very likely · Within months

Open Questions

  • Which parties will El Mansouri form a coalition with?
  • How will the new government manage preparations for the 2030 World Cup?
  • What specific economic and social reforms is the new government planning?

Related Topics

Fatima Ezzahra El-Mansouri
PeopleFatima Ezzahra el-MansouriKing Mohammed VI
OrganizationsParty for Authenticity and Modernity (PAM)Moroccan news agency MAP
PlacesMoroccoMarrakesh
TopicsMoroccohead of governmentPamcoalitionparliamentary electionsoccer world cup 2030
This article was originally published by Handelsblatt.

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