Reactions poured in across Rabat within hours of the royal announcement. Hanan Rihab, a senior figure within the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), was among the first political voices to publicly welcome the appointment of Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as Morocco’s new head of government, a decision that marks a turning point in the kingdom’s political history.
In a Facebook post published Tuesday evening, Rihab described the royal decision as « a solid victory for the constitution and a sweeping victory for women. » The phrasing captured the symbolic weight of the moment: for the first time since independence, a woman has been appointed to lead Morocco’s executive branch.
Rihab did not hide her emotion, thanking King Mohammed VI for what she called « a forward-looking royal vision, » one she linked to years of efforts to elevate Moroccan women to the highest levels of decision-making. She closed her statement by warmly congratulating El Mansouri as the first woman ever to head the Moroccan government.
Coordinator of the collective leadership of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri was received Tuesday by the King at the royal palace in Rabat. Acting under Article 47 of the Constitution, the monarch appointed her head of government and tasked her with forming the new cabinet.
The appointment, praised even from within the socialist opposition, points to a broader moment of political convergence in Morocco, one where partisan divides have momentarily given way to a shared recognition of a historic step forward for women’s representation. For years, successive governments had promised to open the country’s highest executive office to women without ever following through, leaving El Mansouri’s nomination to land with unusual force across the political spectrum.
Attention now turns to the consultations El Mansouri must lead in the coming days as she assembles her government, with observers at home and abroad closely watching how quickly a cabinet can be formed and which parties will be brought into the coalition. Rihab’s message, brief as it was, set the tone for what is likely to be a wave of cross-party tributes in the hours ahead.
