Morocco’s King Mohammed VI appoints new government

RABAT: Morocco's King Mohammed VI officially announced the composition of his nation's new government on Friday, marking a historic first with a female prime minister leading the cabinet. The centre-right Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), which garnered the most seats in September's elections, has formed a coalition with the right-wing Istiqlal party and two smaller left-wing parties. Collectively, they secure 210 out of the 395 parliamentary seats.

In the incoming administration, thirteen out of the thirty-one former ministers retained their positions, including Nasser Bourita in the role of foreign affairs minister and Abdelouafi Laftit as interior minister. Notably, Fouzi Lekjaa, a former budget minister and head of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, has ascended to the position of economy minister.

The seven-member women's delegation in the new government mirrors the ratio of the previous administration. Upon her royal audience on Friday, Prime Minister Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri unveiled an ambitious government agenda aimed at fulfilling citizens' expectations. The low voter turnout in the recent polls, which registered the least participation in nearly two decades, was driven by concerns surrounding the cost of living, employment issues, and income inequality.

As the incoming government confronts these pressing matters, it also finds itself preparing for the upcoming 2030 World Cup co-hosted with Spain and Portugal.