New Spanish government maintains record of more women than men

“The new government will have a strong feminist emphasis with four female deputy prime ministers and more female ministers than male ministers,” he said.

Sánchez, who was re-elected prime minister on Thursday following a controversial amnesty deal with Catalan parties, kept Nadia Calviño in charge of economic affairs and Margarita Robles in defense.

The move means Sanchez maintains his record of having more women than men in his cabinet. In 2021, Sanchez appointed 14 women and eight men to ministerial positions, bringing female representation to 63.6%. This made Spain the country with the third highest number of women worldwide in ministerial positions in 2023.

There are only 13 countries in which women occupy 50% or more of ministerial positions leading policy areas, according to UN Women. Globally, fewer than one in four ministers are women (22.8%).

Key positions unchanged

The Cabinet will include nine new ministers while key positions will remain unchanged – a surprising move for a prime minister known for instigating unexpected reshuffles. Sanchez said the decision was made in order to be more adept at negotiating with parliamentary allies to pass key legislation.

Calvino, who is the favorite to become president of the European Investment Bank, will also retain her post as first deputy prime minister. She is currently leading negotiations on a new package of fiscal rules in the euro zone within the framework of the Spanish presidency of the European Council.

Energy Minister Teresa Ribera, Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares and Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz, leader of the far-left Sumar coalition, also retained their positions.

“This is a high-level political team for a high-level political legislature,” Sánchez said. “These are people capable of governing but also of reaching agreements.”

Sánchez’s party will hold 17 ministries and his left-wing coalition partner Sumar (Joining Forces) will have five portfolios.

The outgoing government’s former far-left coalition partner, Unidas Podemos (Unite We Can), will not have a ministry. The party’s former star, Equality Minister Irene Montero, will be replaced as Equality Minister by Ana Redondo of the Socialist Party.

Sánchez was re-elected last week with the support of 179 lawmakers in the 350-seat Spanish Parliament.

His election was opposed by 171 deputies from the center-right People’s Party and the far-right Vox party. Both parties had called for massive protests against Sanchez’s proposed amnesty for hundreds of people in legal trouble following the Catalonia region’s failed secession attempt in 2017.

Several demonstrations organized by far-right groups near the headquarters of the Socialist Party in Madrid ended in clashes with the police.

Speaking on Monday, Sánchez promised to “prioritize dialogue and negotiation in a legislature that will be essential for Spain’s social and territorial cohesion.”