World

Morocco Makes History as First Woman Leads Government

Stateline MEDIA Newsroom•October 17, 2026•3 min read

King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as Morocco's first female head of government. Her 32-member cabinet was officially formed on Friday.

Key Facts

Raja Mohammed VI menunjuk Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri (50 tahun) sebagai kepala pemerintahan Maroko pada 29 September 2026 — perempuan pertama yang memimpin pemerintahan dalam sejarah kerajaan tersebut. Kabinet barunya resmi dibentuk pada Jumat (16/10/2026).
Partai Authenticity and Modernity (PAM) memenangi pemilihan legislatif 23 September 2026 dengan 97 dari 395 kursi; koalisi PAM-PI-USFP-PPS menguasai 210 kursi parlemen.
Pemerintahan ke-35 Maroko sejak 1955 ini beranggotakan 32 orang: 19 menteri, 1 sekretaris jenderal pemerintah, dan 11 menteri delegasi, termasuk 7 perempuan. Tiga belas menteri lama dipertahankan, termasuk Nasser Bourita (luar negeri) dan Abdelouafi Laftit (dalam negeri); Fouzi Lekjaa dipromosikan menjadi menteri ekonomi.
El Mansouri berlatar pengacara, pernah menjadi wali kota perempuan pertama Marrakesh pada 2009 dan terpilih kembali pada 2021, serta menjabat menteri perencanaan wilayah dan perumahan sejak 2021.
Ia menjadi perempuan kedua yang memimpin pemerintahan di dunia Arab setelah Najla Bouden (Tunisia, 2021-2023).
Tantangan kabinet baru: biaya hidup, lapangan kerja, ketimpangan, serta persiapan Piala Dunia 2030 yang digelar bersama Spanyol dan Portugal.

Political Milestone for Morocco

Morocco made political history when King Mohammed VI appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as head of government — the first woman to lead the government in the kingdom's history. The appointment took place on September 29, 2026, in accordance with Article 47 of the Moroccan Constitution, which requires the king to appoint the head of government from the party that won the election.

The Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), in which El Mansouri is a central figure, won the legislative election on September 23, 2026, securing 97 of the 395 seats in the House of Representatives. PAM then formed a coalition with the Istiqlal Party and two smaller leftist parties, securing 210 seats and a strong majority in parliament.

The new cabinet, which marks Morocco's 35th government since 1955, was officially formed on Friday (10/16/2026) at the Royal Palace in Rabat. It consists of 32 members — 19 ministers, 1 secretary-general of the government, and 11 minister delegates — including 7 women.

Profile of Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri

El Mansouri, 50, is a lawyer with a long institutional track record. She entered politics in 2009 by becoming the first female mayor of Marrakesh, before being re-elected in 2021. On October 7, 2021, King Mohammed VI appointed her Minister of National Territory Planning, Land Planning, Housing and Urban Policy.

Her experience in local government and ministry roles serves as a strong foundation for leading the executive branch. With this appointment, she becomes the second woman to lead a government in the Arab world, after Najla Bouden, who served as Prime Minister of Tunisia from 2021 to 2023.

New Cabinet and Future Challenges

Thirteen ministers from the previous administration were retained, including Nasser Bourita as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Abdelouafi Laftit as Minister of the Interior. Fouzi Lekjaa, minister delegate for the budget in the previous government and president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, was promoted to Minister of Economy.

Following an audience with the king, El Mansouri expressed confidence that her administration would be able to meet citizens' expectations with an ambitious government program. The new administration faces significant challenges: addressing concerns over the cost of living, jobs, and inequality, while also preparing for the 2030 World Cup, which Morocco will co-host alongside Spain and Portugal.