Morocco's first woman prime minister takes office as new government leans on continuity amid tough challenges

On October 16, King Mohammed VI of Morocco appointed a new government headed by Prime Minister Fatima Zohra Al Mansouri. It is the first time in Moroccan history that a woman is leading the government — a precedent that has been covered widely in international media.

Al Mansouri's Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM) won the most seats in September's parliamentary elections. The party has formed a coalition with three other parties, and PAM dominates the new government.

Yet the new cabinet has doubled down on continuity rather than change. More than half the members of the previous government have retained their places, while the so-called sovereign ministries fall directly within the king's reserved powers.

Against this backdrop, some Moroccans are already asking what the point of holding elections was if the same people are brought back to govern. The new government's legitimacy is therefore being debated from the very start.

PAM was established in 2008 by Ali Himma, a close associate and adviser to the king, with the aim of countering the rise of political Islam in Morocco and in particular the Justice and Development Party (PJD).

In the 2016 elections, PAM challenged the PJD and secured the second-biggest number of votes, establishing itself as a legitimate political force. It also gained experience in public affairs through its participation in the 2021 government as a coalition partner. Now it has finally won the right to lead a government.

The victory, however, needs perspective: 62 percent of eligible voters stayed away from the polls, and on election day the authorities had to call on people to go out and vote. There were also suspicions of irregularities, though because in some cases the official election records were not released, observers and political parties could not obtain tangible evidence.

Another talking point was the arrival, just two months before the election, of Faouzi Laaqjea, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, whose popularity stems from the achievements of Moroccan football.

The new government has an ambitious programme. At a Council of Ministers meeting chaired by the king on October 17, a 2027 Finance Bill was put forward featuring greater emphasis on social issues, citizens' purchasing power and youth inclusion.

But the international economic environment is unfavourable. Energy prices are rising, and input costs are increasing for some of Morocco's leading sectors, including phosphate production. The state-owned OCP Group, in charge of phosphate extraction and processing and one of the country's principal sources of wealth, is experiencing difficult times.

There are also concerns about El Nino, which could bring more dry weather and threaten food security in a country that has just endured seven consecutive years of drought. Tourism, another major revenue source, could suffer from the global slowdown in travel, rising transport costs and uncertainties arising from tensions in the Gulf and Europe.

The government will also face an experienced and outspoken opposition, represented by both the Islamist PJD and the radical left. The foreign minister must contend with public opposition to the normalisation of relations with Israel, the interior minister has to tackle allegations of electoral manipulation, and the religious affairs minister faces the fallout of controversial statements about Morocco as a secular country and remarks about Ceuta — known in Morocco as Sebta — that were poorly received by the Spanish authorities.

Public opinion, meanwhile, appears broadly sceptical. The government may have an ambitious agenda, but its tenure will be shaped by difficult circumstances, at home and abroad, that are largely out of its control.