Jettou started his political career in 1993 when King Hassan II appointed him to be Minister of Trade and Industry and his term lasted from 1997 to 1998. He was Minister of Economy and Finance from August 1997 to March 1998. Then he served as Minister of Interior from 2001 in the cabinet of Abderrahmane Youssoufi until he was appointed as Prime Minister by King Mohammed VI on 6 October 2002. His appointment was controversial as he was not then a member of any party, although he governed with a coalition that held a parliamentary majority. The Socialist Union of Forces for Progress and Istiqlal Party were the major parties of this coalition. In late 2004, he successfully led Morocco into a historic free trade agreement with the United States.