Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri set to be Morocco's first female PM

Morocco is poised to have its first female prime minister with Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, a 50-year-old leader of the Authenticity and Modernity Party. Her party secured 97 out of the 395 seats in the country's parliamentary election last week, outpacing the National Rally of Independents (RNI) led by current Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, who won 66 seats.

El Mansouri has indicated her party's willingness to engage in discussions with all parties to form a coalition government. Despite the election not expected to bring significant shifts in Morocco's political landscape, where King Mohammed VI maintains extensive control over foreign policy, defense, and other major areas, the new parliament will oversee the final phases of a $20 billion initiative to prepare for Morocco's co-hosting of the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Spain.

Known as the "World Cup government", the incoming administration is anticipated to implement economic policies to address the growing youth discontent, a concern that surfaced following mass border rushes in July to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta and deadly protests led by Generation Z members the previous year. El Mansouri's party gained momentum during the campaign with the backing of Fouzi Lekjaa, a budget minister and head of the football federation, who was also considered as a potential prime minister.