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Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri

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Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri
فاطمة الزهراء المنصوري
Image
Campaign portrait, 2026
Prime Minister of Morocco
Incumbent
Assumed office
29 September 2026[1]
MonarchMohammed VI
Preceded byAziz Akhannouch
National Coordinator of the Authenticity and Modernity Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
10 February 2024
Preceded byAbdellatif Ouahbi
Minister of National Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and Urban Policy
In office
7 October 2021 – 16 October 2026
Prime MinisterAziz Akhannouch
Preceded byNouzha Bouchareb
Succeeded bySamir Belfkih
Mayor of Marrakesh
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 September 2021
Preceded byMohamed Larbi Belcaid
In office
23 June 2009 – 4 September 2015
Preceded byOmar Jazouli
Succeeded byMohamed Larbi Belcaid
Member of the House of Representatives
for Medina-Sidi Youssef
Incumbent
Assumed office
9 October 2026
In office
25 November 2011 – 2 November 2021
Succeeded byOthmane Bentaleb[a]
Personal details
Born (1976-01-03) 3 January 1976 (age 50)
Marrakesh, Morocco
PartyAuthenticity and Modernity
Spouse
Choukri Berrada
​
(divorced)​
Children2
EducationUniversity of Montpellier
WebsitePersonal website

Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri[b] (born 3 January 1976) is a Moroccan politician and lawyer who is the prime minister of Morocco since 29 September 2026.[2] She is the first woman to hold the office. A member of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), she previously served as mayor of Marrakesh, first from 2009 to 2015, and then since 2021.

El Mansouri studied law in France. She joined the PAM in 2008 and won a seat on the city council in 2009, after which she was selected as mayor of Marrakesh. El Mansouri later served as Minister of National Planning, Urban Planning, Housing and Urban Policy under Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch. On 29 September 2026, she was appointed Prime Minister of Morocco by King Mohammed VI after her party won a plurality of seats in the 2026 general election.

Early life

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Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri was born on 3 January 1976 into a family of dignitaries from the Rehamna province.[3] She comes from a family belonging to the Oulad Delim clan within the Rahamna tribe.[4][5] Her father is Abderrahmane El Mansouri, who was pasha (deputy governor) of Marrakesh and the ambassador of Morocco to the United Arab Emirates.[6][7] Her maternal uncle is Colonel Abdallah Mansouri, and she is a granddaughter of Ahmed Mansouri who helped Caid Ayadi, an ally of France and Pasha Thami El Glaoui against Moroccans resisting colonisation.[8] She is also a relative of Fouad Ali El Himma, the founder of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) and a childhood friend of King Mohammed VI, being the cousin of his brother-in-law.[9]

El Mansouri was educated in French schools in Marrakesh. She studied law in France, influenced by her father from a young age, watching his arguments in court.[10] El Mansouri started her career as a lawyer, founding a law firm that specializes in commercial and real estate transactions.[11] She served as a municipal councillor for the PAM,[12] which she joined when it was founded in 2008.[13]

Political career

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Mayor of Marrakesh (2009–2015, 2021–present)

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In Morocco, mayors are chosen among elected members of a city council, who elect one of their own to that position. Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri won a seat in the city council in contested elections in 2009 [fr], after which she was selected for the position of mayor.[14] She was elected mayor of the city under the aegis of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) on 22 June 2009, defeating her rival, Omar Jazouli, the outgoing mayor of the Constitutional Union party, by 54 votes to 35.[15] The 75-year-old Jazouli may have been tainted by a "mini-scandal" in mid-May caused by a prostitute's allegations about his private life.[citation needed] Jazouli had also suffered a campaign of defamation in the press, which launched a number of rumours about him, such as accusing him of being a homosexual.[16]

The next month, in July 2009, a tribunal court annulled El Mansouri's election upon evidence of fraud presented by competing parties.[10][17] After the Front of Democratic Forces (FFD) filed a complaint, the court found that ballots had been issued early and some voting records had been destroyed. The PAM called for a 48-hour strike to protest the decision.[18] Amidst the pressure of the Arab spring, El Mansouri resigned the mayorship on 7 July 2011, but later retracted that decision.[19] Thami El Khyari [fr] of the FFD said the complaint was against the electoral process, not against Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri herself.[20] El Mansouri challenged the verdict. In September 2009 the Administrative Court of Appeal of Marrakesh annulled the earlier court decision and declared that the election was valid.[21] The judge who first invalidated the election, Jaafar Hassoun, was later sacked and excluded from the judiciary.[17]

Incumbent parties accused the authorities of actively promoting PAM in the 2009 elections, and criticized El Mansouri for her lack of experience in politics.[22] El Mansouri's father died on the evening of the election.[10] After taking up the post she announced, "I want to rule by example" and transferred her salary of 5,500 dirhams (roughly 500 euros; 561 USD) to cover the expenses of the municipal officials.[10]

A January 2010 profile in Jeune Afrique said that Mansouri had adopted a transparent, participatory approach, holding meetings with the citizens every week. She had vowed to eradicate poverty and attend to the woes of 20,000 households who have no access to drinking water or electricity. She also intended to readdress the tourism policy, based more on the tourism and hotel industry than on how to assist the poor. She announced that within six months of the start of her mayorship, revenues of the city had increased by almost a third.[10]

On 7 July 2011 it was reported that El Mansouri had turned in her resignation to the city council. It was speculated that the cause was pressure from her deputy Hamid Nargis to accept his decisions.[23][24] El Mansouri had also threatened to leave PAM, apparently due to an internal struggle over authority within the party. Also, some of the reforms she had made to the city organization and hiring practices may have offended vested interests.[25] The news caused a stir, but Mansouri was back at her office on the next day.[26] It was reported that she had received guarantees of non-interference in exchange for agreeing not to resign.[27]

In April 2012, El Mansouri lashed out in an open letter against statements made by Mustapha Ramid, Minister of Justice and Liberties. He had been critical of tourism and tourists in Marrakesh. El Mansouri said that given his position, his remarks had been irresponsible, had defamed the city and its inhabitants, and had violated the principle of tolerance.[28]

Following her party's success in the local elections of September 2021 [fr], El Mansouri was re-elected as the mayor of Marrakesh.[29]

Minister of Housing (2021–2026)

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On 7 October 2021, she was appointed as minister of housing in the new government of Aziz Akhannouch.[30] She vacated her seat on 2 November, being succeeded by Othmane Bentaleb.[31][32]

Prime Minister of Morocco (2026–present)

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As coordinator of the PAM party, she led the party in the 2026 Moroccan general election, securing a victory that came close to a majority following the ruling party's defeat.[33] She was returned to the House of Representatives for the Marrakech-Medina–Sidi Youssef Ben Ali constituency.[34]

On 29 September 2026, King Mohammed VI received her at the Royal Palace and appointed El Mansouri as Prime Minister–designate of Morocco, becoming the first woman to hold the office. King Mohammed VI tasked her with forming a new government.[35][36][37]

Following her appointment, El Mansouri began consultations with political parties to establish a parliamentary majority. On 12 October 2026, she announced a four-party coalition comprising the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), the Istiqlal Party, the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), and the Party of Progress and Socialism (PPS). Together, the parties held 207 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives, exceeding the 198 required for an absolute majority.[38][39] On 16 October, King Mohammed VI accepted the 32-member government, of which seven are women, El Mansouri included.[40] Several ministers from the previous government retained their positions.[40][41]

On 18 October, at El Mansouri's request, King Mohammed VI dismissed Madiha Khayr, the Minister Delegate responsible for Vocational Training and Qualification, just two days after her appointment and before the new government had received parliamentary confidence.[42][43]

Personal life

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El Mansouri was previously married to Choukri Berrada and is the mother of two children.[10][44]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ↑ Seat declared vacant by the Constitutional Court upon El Mansouri's assumption of a ministerial office.
  2. ↑ Arabic: فاطمة الزهراء المنصوري, romanized: Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ al-Manṣūrī[pronunciation?]

References

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  1. ↑ https://www.cg.gov.ma/en/biography
  2. ↑ الشلح, ميلود. أول رئيسة حكومة في تاريخ المغرب.. فاطمة الزهراء المنصوري وسر الصعود إلى واجهة السلطة [Morocco's first female head of government: Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri and the secret behind her rise to the forefront of power]. Le 360 Arabe (in Arabic). Retrieved 1 October 2026.
  3. ↑ Boum, Aomar; Park, Thomas K. (2016). Historical Dictionary of Morocco. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. p. 326. ISBN 978-1-4422-6297-3.
  4. ↑ Ketti, Souleiman (29 September 2026). "Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, première femme chargée de former un gouvernement au Maroc" [Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, the first woman tasked with forming a government in Morocco]. Le Desk. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  5. ↑ Ali Anouzla (1 October 2026). "من بيت باشا مراكش إلى المشور السعيد.. سيرة صعود بين إرث العائلة وشبكات السلطة والمال إلى رئاسة الحكومة" [From the household of Marrakech's Pasha to the Royal Palace.. A biography of ascent between family heritage and networks of power and money to the head of government]. Lakome2.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 18 October 2026.
  6. ↑ Alami, Aida; Livni, Ephrat (29 September 2026). "Morocco's King Names a Female Prime Minister, in a Historic First". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  7. ↑ Wakil, Kawtar. "Morocco's King Names El Mansouri First Woman Head of Gov't". Asharq Al-Awsat. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  8. ↑ الكولونيل المنصوري يفتح علبة أسراره للأسبوع [Colonel Mansouri opens up his box of secrets to Al Ousboue]. Alousboue Assahafi. 8 June 2013. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  9. ↑ لماذا لم يطرد حزب البام إلياس العماري بتهمة تحريض الصيادلة [Why didn't the PAM expel Ilyas El Omari on charges of inciting pharmacists?]. الأسبوع [The Week]. 16 January 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Fatima Zahra Mansouri, first lady of Marrakech". Jeune Afrique. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  11. ↑ "Fatima Zahra Mansouri woman mayor of Marrakech". Afric.com. 23 June 2009. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  12. ↑ "Biography of Fatima Zahra MANSOURI". African Success. Archived from the original on 13 June 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  13. ↑ "Morocco's king appoints Mansouri as the country's first female PM". euronews. Retrieved 4 October 2026.
  14. ↑ "Morocco's Managed Mayoral Selections". WikiLeanks. 14 July 2009. Archived from the original on 25 February 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  15. ↑ "Buzzing Marrakech gets woman mayor". Middle East Online. 23 June 2009. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  16. ↑ "Affaire Jazouli : L'épouse de l'ex-maire dément tout !". Le360.ma. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  17. 1 2 Lmrabet, Ali (19 May 2011). "Fouad Ali El Himma, la voix et le bras de son maître". Demain Online. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  18. ↑ "Morocco mayor's unseating prompts strike calls". Al Arabiya (Saudi Arabia). Saudi Arabia. 14 July 2009. Archived from the original on 25 May 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2012 – via HighBeam Research.
  19. ↑ فاطمة الزهراء المنصوري تستقيل من عمودية مراكش [Fatima Zahra El Mansouri resigns as mayor of Marrakesh]. hespress. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  20. ↑ "Les résultats des élections communales au niveau de la circonscription Menara dans la ville de Marrakech ont été annulés en vertu du jugement rendu, lundi 13 juillet, par le tribunal administratif de la ville ocre". Aujourd'hui. 16 July 2009. Retrieved 5 November 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  21. ↑ "Fatima Zahra Mansouri reste Maire de Marrakech". bladi.net. 11 September 2009. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  22. ↑ Bürgermeisterin, Neue (4 July 2009). "Frauenpower in Marrakesch – ein Porträt". Die Welt. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  23. ↑ "Démission de Fatima-Zahra Mansouri" (in Arabic). Hespress. 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  24. ↑ فاطمة الزهراء المنصوري تستقيل من عمودية مدينة مراكش [Fatima Zahra El Mansouri resigns as mayor of Marrakesh]. Echoes Morocco. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  25. ↑ Berrissoule, Badra (11 July 2011). "MAIRIE DE MARRAKECH MANSOURI REFUSE LE DIKTAT DU PAM". l′économiste. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  26. ↑ "Fatima Zahra Mansouri, maire de Marrakech, retire sa démission !". eMarrakech. 7 July 2011. Archived from the original on 12 August 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  27. ↑ فاطمة الزهراء المنصوري تتراجع عن الاستقالة [Fatima Zahra El Mansouri withdraws her resignation]. Echoes Morocco. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  28. ↑ "Fatima Zahra Mansouri, mairesse de Marrakech dénonce les propos de Mustapha Ramid". achnoo. 7 April 2012. Archived from the original on 13 April 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  29. ↑ "Women elected mayors of Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakesh |". AW. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  30. ↑ "Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, une dame de fer à l'Habitat et la Politique de la ville". Telquel.ma (in French). Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  31. ↑ "Officiel: six ministres du gouvernement Akhannouch libèrent leur siège au Parlement (Document)". Le360 (in French). 4 November 2021.
  32. ↑ "Vidéo. Cumul des mandats: au Parlement, la valse des sièges de députés". Le360 (in French). 7 December 2021.
  33. ↑ "PAM wins big in Morocco parliament elections but falls short of majority". Al Jazeera. 26 September 2026. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  34. ↑ "فاطمة الزهراء المنصوري تعود إلى البرلمان عن دائرة مراكش المدينة" [Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri returns to Parliament for the Marrakech-Medina constituency]. Mowatine (in Arabic). 24 September 2026.
  35. ↑ "Morocco's king appoints first woman PM following Sept 23 election". Reuters. 29 September 2026. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  36. ↑ "Morocco's king appoints Marrakesh mayor El Mansouri as first woman prime minister". France 24. 29 September 2026. Retrieved 29 September 2026.
  37. ↑ "Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri Appointed Morocco's First Woman Prime Minister" (Press release). Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in the United States. Retrieved 1 October 2026 – via PR Newswire.
  38. ↑ Eljechtimi, Ahmed (12 October 2026). "Moroccan centrist party agrees to form coalition government with three other parties". Reuters. Retrieved 18 October 2026.
  39. ↑ "Formation du gouvernement". snrtnews.com. 12 October 2026. Retrieved 18 October 2026.
  40. 1 2 El Barakah, Tarik (16 October 2026). "Seven women, 11 ministers delegate in El Mansouri's 32-member cabinet". Le360. Retrieved 18 October 2026.
  41. ↑ "HM the King Chairs New Government Appointment Ceremony". maroc.ma. 16 October 2026. Retrieved 18 October 2026.
  42. ↑ Berrada, Reda (18 October 2026). "Gouvernement: Fin de mission express pour la ministre déléguée Madiha Khayr". Retrieved 18 October 2026.
  43. ↑ Berrada, Reda (18 October 2026). "Belfkih: le départ de Madiha Khayr, une décision partagée". Retrieved 18 October 2026.
  44. ↑ Kumar, Sumit (30 September 2026). "Who is Choukri Berrada? Meet Morocco's first woman Prime Minister Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri's ex-husband – Check his profession, business, family and more". The Sunday Guardian. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
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