Morocco makes history as king names country’s first female prime minister

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country’s first woman prime minister after her party won the most seats in last week’s parliamentary election.

The royal palace said Tuesday that El Mansouri had been asked to form a new government following the September 23 vote.

Her Authenticity and Modernity Party, known as PAM, won 97 seats, ahead of the National Rally of Independents with 66 and Istiqlal with 65.

El Mansouri, a lawyer who served as housing minister in the outgoing government and as mayor of Marrakech, will now hold negotiations to build a governing coalition.

During the campaign, PAM ruled out remaining in a coalition with the National Rally of Independents following disagreements over government policies.

El Mansouri, however, said after the election that she would have no “red lines” in coalition negotiations. “We have turned the page,” she said, according to Reuters.

The new government will oversee Morocco’s preparations for the 2030 World Cup, which it will co-host with Spain and Portugal, while facing economic concerns including youth discontent.