Tunisian President Kais Saied named Najla Bouden Romdhane, a little-known university engineer with World Bank experience, as prime minister on Wednesday nearly two months after he seized most powers in a move his foes call a coup.
Romdhane, Tunisia's first woman prime minister, will take office at a moment of crisis, with the democratic gains won in a 2011 revolution in doubt and as a major threat looms to public finances.
A geological engineer, Romdhane was responsible for implementing World Bank projects at the education ministry, but she has little experience in government.
Speaking in a video published online, Saied said her appointment honored Tunisian women and asked her to propose a cabinet in the coming hours or days "because we have lost a lot of time".