MADRID (AP) — Women will hold 12 of the 22 posts in the new government named Monday by Spain’s recently reelected Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
“The new government is going to have a marked feminist accent with four women deputy prime ministers and more female ministers than male ministers,” Sánchez said.
The Cabinet will include nine new ministers while key posts remain unchanged. Nadia Calviño keeps the economy portfolio, José Manuel Albares remains in charge of foreign affairs and Margarita Robles stays at defense.
Sánchez’s Socialist party will hold 17 ministries and its leftist Sumar (Joining Forces) coalition partner will have five portfolios.
The outgoing government's former far-left coalition partner, Unidas Podemos (Unite We Can), will have no ministries. The party's former star, Equality Minister Irene Montero, will be replaced by Ana Redondo of the Socialist party.
Sánchez was on Thursday with backing from 179 lawmakers in Spain's 350-seat parliament. His election was opposed by 171 deputies from the center-right Popular Party and the far-right Vox.
His new term has gotten off to a stormy start after he clinched the support in parliament of two Catalan separatist parties in exchange for a proposal for in legal trouble over the Catalonia region’s failed secession attempt in 2017.
The proposal has triggered massive protests called by the Popular Party and Vox. Several held by extreme right-wing groups close to the Socialist party's headquarters in Madrid ended in clashes with police.
Speaking Monday, Sánchez promised to “prioritize dialogue and negotiation in a legislature that will be key for the social and territorial cohesion of Spain.”
