Morocco Appoints First Female Prime Minister Amid Youth Disillusionment
King Mohammed VI has appointed Fatima Zahra El Mansouri as Morocco’s first female prime minister, making her the third woman to lead a government in the Arab world. El Mansouri, a 50-year-old lawyer and former mayor of Marrakesh, leads the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), which won 97 seats in the recent elections but lacks the 198-seat majority needed to govern alone. Her appointment follows a period of low voter turnout among youth and protests against government spending on the 2030 FIFA World Cup. She must now negotiate a coalition to form a government, facing opposition from parties like the Justice and Development Party.