First Woman to Hold the Position.. King of Morocco Assigns Fatima Zahra Mansouri to Form the Government

- The Moroccan official news agency announced on Tuesday the decision of King Mohammed VI to appoint Fatima Zahra Mansouri as the head of the new government in the country, making her the first woman to hold the position. The agency reported a statement from the Ministry of Royal Affairs, Protocol, and Honors, which indicated that Mansouri was appointed "Coordinator of the Collective Leadership of the Authenticity and Modernity Party, under Article 47 of the Constitution, as the head of the government," and the king tasked her "with forming the new government."

The appointment and assignment come after the Authenticity and Modernity Party won the recent parliamentary elections in Morocco, where it secured 97 seats, followed by the National Rally of Independents with 66 seats, the Istiqlal Party with 65 seats, and the Justice and Development Party with 54 seats. The Moroccan agency published the biography of the head of government, stating that she held the position of Minister of National Land Planning, Urbanism, Housing, and City Policy between 2021 and 2026, and she holds a degree in Anglo-Saxon law from Pace University in the United States, a diploma in postgraduate studies in Business Contracts Law from the University of Montpellier, and a bachelor's degree in private law from Mohammed V University in Rabat.

Mansouri has been a lawyer at the Bar Association in Marrakech since March 22, 2005. She began her political career by joining the Movement for All Democrats in 2007, and she was a founding member of the Authenticity and Modernity Party in 2008, according to the official agency.

Mansouri was elected as a parliamentary deputy from 2011 to 2016. She previously held the presidency of the National Council of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (2015 – 2024) and was re-elected as a parliamentary deputy (2016 – 2021).

She also presides over the Marrakech Municipal Council (2021 -2027). Since 2024, she has held the position of Coordinator of the Collective Leadership of the Authenticity and Modernity Party.

Forbes magazine has chosen Al-Mansouri in 2024 as the top of a list of 20 young women who are the most influential in Africa.